As Plain as Brown
by Shippostail
Summary: Jack Harvest never liked himself—thought himself as plain and not much to look at. The women in Forget-Me-Not Valley seem to think otherwise. Not that he would know. Talk about some serious self-esteem issues.
1. Chapter 1

**Summary**: Jack Harvest never liked himself—thought himself as plain and not much to look at. The women in Forget-Me-Not Valley seem to think otherwise. Not that he would know. Talk about some serious self-esteem issues eh?

**Disclaimer – The only Harvest Moon related things I own is this story and the Harvest Moon DS cartridge I bought about a month ago. I do not in any way own the idea of Harvest Moon or any of its characters. Credit for any Harvest Moon character I use in this story goes to Natsume.**

**Rated: M** _**Warning!**__: There will be scenes of sexual material. If you are seriously under aged or cannot handle this level of intimacy, please click that back button or at least skip these parts. I will not be held responsible for any occurring issues for I have given a note of caution. It'll be very light though. Nothing Porn-like I assure you._

* * *

As Plain as Brown

Jack Harvest had always thought of himself as plain. Inspecting his own features in front of the bathroom mirror, he thought he looked even plainer now than ever—especially his eyes. They were brown. They were plain and unimpressive. He also didn't like his hair—a little messy, and unimpressively brown. He wasn't sure how he got to be so self-conscious. Perhaps it had something to do with him being a middle child. It was easy to be ignored and although teenagers love to be left alone, often times as a kid, he felt unnoticed and unwanted because his parents were busy trying to keep his little sister Claire happy. She was only three years younger than him. He could see her growing up to be an even bigger spoiled brat having no clue about the real world. His older brother was already in college by the time he turned eleven so he was out. But he couldn't blame his parents. They were trying and despite Claire being a spoiled brat, he loved her.

On his fourteenth birthday, his mother caught him in the bathroom trying to fix up his hair. His mother gave a soft laugh at the sight. His hair had an excessive amount of gel that would probably turn his hair into stone and he sported an extremely distressed expression on his face as he frantically tried on different styles. Before she could say anything else, he mentioned to her about his disliking of how his hair was messy. She stopped him and washed the gel off his hair. After drying his head off with a towel, she combed it to straighten it. When he thought she was done, he pulled away, but she pulled him back.

"It doesn't look quite right." She then messed his hair up near his forehead a little.

"Perfect." She said. He looked at himself at the mirror and looked pointedly back at his mother.

"Mom. It looks the same as it always does."

"Well. I think you look adorable that way and I think all those girls outside would think so too."

"What girls? Don't tell me you invited the whole school?!"

"Well, we have so much space and I didn't want it to feel so empty. You should be happy that your friends are out there."

As she left, he looked at the closed bathroom door sadly. Truth is he didn't have any friends. He was a very quiet guy. In school, he'd always go to some secluded area and just sit staring at the ground, mindlessly throw pebbles, or pick at the grass. Those people outside his house. He only knew the names of his classmates—some of them acquaintances, but not friends.

Once he set foot outside, he spotted his blonde-haired sister chatting happily with her friends. As he walked he felt many people staring at him. He found a lone chair and sat down, hands grasping at the sides, and stared at the ground before him. He felt the stares and heard the giggles and whisperings he couldn't make out of the girls passing by. He sat there staring at the ground thinking they were making fun of him. He didn't want to look up, afraid they'd see his sadness. So he sat there the whole time. Staring at the ground. Unbeknownst him, the girls were thinking differently.

However, loneliness wasn't the reason he decided to start a life out in Forget-Me-Not Valley—which, he ironically almost forgot the name of. He decided during college that he wanted to get away from the spoiled life and do something—anything. So he left after he finished at the age of twenty-two. When he arrived, he found that there was nothing he could do except farm. So he decided he'd try it and see where it would take him and there was nothing here but farms anyway. There was an inn and a bar close by south of where he currently resides, a nice small pond surrounded by trees and flowers south of the inn, a beach south of the pond, another pond a little ways east of where he resides named after the harvest goddess (whom he hoped would give him a good harvest when he would start growing produce—if there even was a goddess), a mine east from the goddess pond, and a rather large intricately designed complex west nearby, which he believed to have rich people living in, but he'd rather not go near that building and that was about it.

Jack had a little bit of money saved up from—well, he was rich to begin with but only took enough to get where he wanted to go and left the rest with his family. He wanted to buy the land that he saw was for sale, but he didn't have much money left on him. By sheer dumb luck, the mayor seemed desperate to give it away and got it for free. He hoped it wasn't cursed or anything. But in return, the mayor wanted to see the farm prosper. So here he is now in a small farmhouse—one room consisting of a bed, a small kitchen, and a small bathroom, all under what must be less than five hundred square feet of space. He made a mental note to himself to expand the house a little when he had enough money saved up.

Having grown tired of looking at himself, he brushed his teeth and washed his face. Giving a last look at himself, satisfied that he looked a bit better now that he was cleaned up, dressed himself in a farmer's attire—a white T-shirt that would probably be dirtied up by the end of the day, blue overalls, black rubber boots, and white gloves. Heading towards the mirror again, he looked at his hair. Wanting to do something about it, he looked towards the comb, took it, and brushed it through his hair. This feat accomplished nothing. He had only succeeded in making himself look weird. Messing his hair back up, he decided he'd just settle with a blue hat. He put the cap on with the flap at the back—two tuffs of hair managed to poke through from under the cap. Letting out a defeated sigh, he left the house with a bothered look on his face.

Behind the house, Jack gave the vast field a look. There were seemingly countless rocks and pieces of twigs and branches, and even more weeds then there are insects in the world. Strangely, he found he was looking forward to working on this field—like he already had a master plan hidden beneath his sleeve. But he didn't have one. He just wanted to start working—like it was in his genetics. He considered it odd, since no one else in his family liked doing manual labor. Brushing that thought aside, he began his work.

* * *

Nami McKay was exhausted. Her feet were aching and longed for rest. But she continued on walking, hoping the dirt path would lead to a place to stay, and perhaps some food. A few minutes of walking passed and she began to make out a farm in the distance. She made her way up and noticed that it was barren. She figured now that she stopped that she'd sit on the wooden bench under the tree across the farm. No more than five seconds had passed until she had spotted a man knelt on the ground pulling out weeds. She sat there silently watching him work as she enjoyed the feel of her aching feet finally getting some rest. It didn't occur to her how long it was until she saw him tense up a little as if he noticed her presence and slowly turned around to look at her. She felt like a thief caught red-handed—a deer frozen in the middle of a road caught under the headlights. Nami hoped he didn't think she was some stalker or worse—a serial killer. She hadn't counted on staying there as long as she had. But she especially hadn't counted on him being the most handsome man she'd laid eyes on. He gave her a look of surprise before giving a soft greeting. She should've said hi back, but being herself, she blurted out the first thing that came up.

"What are you looking at" she rudely interjected. She felt so stupid after letting that out. But before he could respond she made a mad dash towards town and left him with a confused look on his face.

She stopped running until she reached a building and leaned against the wall. Her heart was pounding so hard and fast she felt each beat pulse throughout her body. Even as her heart rate slowed down, she found that the strength of her heartbeat had not weakened. An image of his face framed her mind and she felt the pounding increase in strength. She shook her head to rid the image of him and sat on the ground.

"This shouldn't be happening to me." She said to herself disappointedly.

"Why now?" Why now of all times did she have to fall attracted to anyone? Nami had a dream—a dream of exploring the world and seeing amazing places. She had just started trying to make her dream a reality three weeks ago. Mentally straightening herself, she kept her goal imbedded in her mind where she could see it. Nami stood up, dusted herself, and marched into the building she was leaning onto realizing that it was an inn. Sure of herself, she was confident she'd get over him before she even left Forget-Me-Not Valley and shrugged it off as a schoolgirl crush. It's easy to get over a guy. Just think of a bunch of sexist facts about all men in general. Simple right? Right?

* * *

Jack Harvest had only been working three hours and he was already starting to feel the heat get to him. It was only May. Wiping the sweat off his forehead, he suddenly got the feeling he was being watched. Tensing up a little, afraid if it was a serial killer, he took a chance and slowly turned around. To his surprise, it was a woman. She looked no older than he did, had sky blue eyes, and hair as red as a rose that was cut short that you'd think she was a guy until you saw her face—not that he meant anything by that. The outfit she sported would also fool anyone until you saw her from the front—again, not that he meant anything by that. He amazed himself how fast he was able to analyze her appearance. Quickly moving from his own amazement, he gave her soft greeting. She looked like she was about to say something else before she glared at him.

"What are you looking at?" she said rudely. Before he could respond she dashed towards town. He knelt there wondering what was it that he did to make her run away like that.

"That was weird."

One thing was for sure though. She was awfully pretty. Automatically, his low self-esteem kicked in and he felt he shouldn't even bother with her. It wasn't like he stood any chance anyway. Sighing disappointedly, he continued on pulling weeds feeling worse about his own self than he did earlier that morning.

* * *

A woman sat beside the windowsill in her room staring at the view of the town below. The woman couldn't help but feel sadness as she looked on. She had brown eyes, shoulder length light brown hair brushed neatly, and a pretty face. She was rich—had the life almost everyone wants. But then, why didn't she feel content? She let out a sight, and sat there for a few more moments contemplating over her unhappiness.

"Lumina Tristesse get down here! It's time for piano practice!"

"Yes grandma. I'll be down in a minute!"

Her grandma Romana, kind of annoyed her. Actually, no—kind of annoying is an understatement. It's more like beyond annoying to the point that would make her cry. She was always dissatisfied with her playing. As soon as she would hit an incorrect note, Romana would make her redo the whole piece from the start. But Romana was a very old woman and was all she had left of her family—family she knew at least. Her parents had died in a plane crash during a business trip when she was ten. Lumina had been devastated and hadn't left her room for two weeks since that day. Her eyes glistened from that memory. Blinking them away, she brought her mind back to Romana. It was only a matter of time before Romana would leave this world. So, Lumina would try to make her happy by doing as she says even if she detested it.

"Lumina!"

Quickly rushing down the stairs, she jumped the last three steps onto floor.

"Running and jumping off stairs is not how a proper lady should make her way around." Her grandmother chastised in her old scratchy voice.

"Yes grandma, but I didn't want to keep you waiting." Lumina panted.

Romana gave her a look of disapproving and began to walk away from her.

"You can practice on your own today. I'll be outside in the garden but I want to hear music coming from here. Understand young lady?"

"Understood." Lumina couldn't stop the smile that appeared on her face. Her grandma wouldn't be sitting beside her to berate her skills. As she began playing, she kept a wish in her mind. She wished for happiness and wished for it to come soon.

* * *

Some facts about this story:

Nami's original last name was going to be McKenna but it showed up as an error in Microsoft Word and "McKay" was one of the choices of revision. Which name do you suppose sounds better on her?

Lumina's last name is adopted from Frederic Chopin's piano piece "Tristesse".


	2. Chapter 2

**As Plain as Brown**

**Disclaimer** – Natsume owns the idea of Harvest Moon and the characters mentioned in this story. I just own a copy of Harvest Moon DS and the story's plot. As Plain as BrownChapter 2

_Sometimes. Sometimes life throws things at you. Some you may like. Some you won't like. You can throw the stuff you don't like away. Most of them. Because there are some things you just can't throw away. No matter how hard you try to resist and reject it, you can't get rid of it. So what do you do? You keep it. Just keep it. In time, you'll gradually be ok with it. Maybe even love it._

The bright rays of the morning sun hit Jack's face. He winced and groggily sat up on the bed. He rubbed the sleep off his eyes and sat there. Staring at the ground. He always did that. Out of habit. It was nice though. Thinking about nothing. Finally getting up, he undressed and got in the shower. As the warm water hit his body, his thoughts wondered about his progress. Two days. It's been two days since he started. He was happy though. He got the field cleaned off. But, he needed money. What could he do here for money? He did over hear someone say something about finding some very valuable ores in the mine when he arrived. After he finished his shower, he got dressed in a worn out pair of blue jeans and a faded maroon shirt. Ok then. To the mine it is. Quickly putting on socks and the old running shoes he wore when he arrived, he grabbed his old black jansport backpack and headed outside to grab a hammer.

When he arrived at the mine, he noticed it was—huge. How was he supposed to find his way through? Cautiously entering, he felt a little crept out from how ancient it looked. Slowly making his way through, he prayed that the place wouldn't cave in on him. He stopped and made sure he could make out the light from outside. Looking back at the ground, he inspected the rocks before him. He noticed a rock the size of a backpack. What set it off from the other was that it had mold on it. He grasped his hammer, brought it back above his head and struck it. He managed to break off a little chunk of it. He swung again. A bigger chunk fell. Again—another small chunk. More chunks broke off each time he took a swing. Once the rock was reduced to rubble, he was disappointed to find nothing. He was even more disappointed of how tired he was from one rock. Deciding he'd give it one more try before he'd give up, he swung at the rock left of the rubble. This time he got the feeling he'd find something. And he did. It was some kind of greenish-blue looking ore the size of an infant's fist. He thought it was some emerald. Unsatisfied, he moved on to other rocks.

When he left the cave, he was sweating and panting for air. He looked at the darkening purple and orange hues of the sky. He stayed in the mine longer than he planned. It was ok though. He found lots of different ores. But, he was in dire need of water. His throat was dry from all the panting. He slowly caught his breath as he walked tiredly towards town. Arriving at the bar, he made out a group of people sitting at a round table through the dirtying window. They seem to be challenging each other in drinking contest. Entering, he sat on a stool and waited for the bartender to come. It wasn't the bartender that came up to him though. It was the waitress.

"Well you're a new face I haven't seen before. So what can I get for you handsome?" He didn't know what to respond. But he did feel his face heat up a little from that comment. Hoarsely, he let out his order.

"Water. Please."

"Coming right up. Don't worry about the cost. Water is free here." She said.

"Oh." It was all he could say.

"So, what kind of women are you into?" She handed him a glass of water. He gulped it down gladly.

"Uhhh…." Was his smart reply. He never thought about that.

"I don't know. "

"C'mon now. Tell me. Unless you're…you know…. attracted to guys…"

"No." He quickly responded

"Then tell me."

"I…maybe…a mysterious woman—someone unpredictable—someone who can make me smile without me even knowing it."

"Oh? You sure it's not pretty blonde women with green eyes?" She suggested

"Heh…doesn't matter." He retorted.

"Hmm…a mysterious woman…someone who can make you smile…that sure doesn't sound like me. I can make you smile if I tried, but I'm not mysterious." She said disappointedly more to herself.

He didn't know what to say. Surely he wasn't that great of a guy. Looking back at her, she seemed to be staring at something in deep thought. She was pretty. She had wavy blonde hair that went a little below her shoulders and sparkling emerald eyes. But somehow he didn't think it'd work. He didn't feel anything.

"You know, we haven't even introduced ourselves yet." Trying to change the subject.

"Oh that's right! My name's Muffy Iris."

"Jack Harvest." He said as they shook hands.

"Well Jack, I have a feeling we're going to be good friends."

He had this happy feeling after he heard "good friends". For once, he was actually happy.

"And—" She continued. He listened.

"I think I found a woman that fits your description." She finished.

"Hmm?.." His interest piqued with one eyebrow raised.

"That woman right there—the one with red hair. Well, I shouldn't say red. Her hair is as red as a rose. I don't know if she can make you smile, but she's definitely giving off that mysterious vibe and she's very pretty." She said as she pointed behind him.

Huh? Rose-colored hair? Was she talking about that rude woman that was at the front of his farm? However, his thoughts were interrupted as he had heard a vicious spray from someone and choking as if were something vile. Quickly turning around to see if the person needed help, he spotted the said rose head sitting alone two small tables behind him. She was the one choking. Without a second thought, he made his way over to her to help. When he got to her, he found he didn't know what to do. Awkwardly, he patted her back gently. He was relieved when she stopped coughing.

"Thank you…" She managed, her face red from all the coughing.

"No problem. You alright now?" He asked worriedly.

"Yea…I'm fine now." She said now that she was back to normal.

"Were…were you listening to our conversation?" He asked shyly.

"…" She turned away making him unable to see her face.

Taking the silence as a definite yes, he stopped to think of what to say. Nothing came to mind. Not wanting to add to the already uncomfortable tension in the air, he said something.

"…My name is Jack Harvest." Well. He felt really dumb right there. She had already heard his name. Taking a seat in the chair across from her, he clasped his hands together and stared at the table.

"What's your name?" He finally said, looking at her, finally able to see part of her face as she was still avoiding his gaze. He wasn't sure, but maybe he could see a small pink tinge on her cheek. Maybe she still trying to get herself together from that coughing fit.

"Nami." She said nonchalantly.

"Last name?" Wow. He sounded like some guy signing up names for some contest or whatnot.

"…" No response.

"Nami is a pretty name." He felt like he was talking to himself. Unable to bear the tension, he tried to think of anything to get her to talk. Remembering the lumpy ore inside his pocket, an idea popped into his head.

"Can I give you something?" She turned her head and looked him questioningly. He took out the reddish-purple looking ore in his pocket and neared it towards her on top of the table. Wait. Wasn't it green blue before? He must've imagined it blue green.

"I didn't want this so I want you to have it." He said.

"Why didn't you just throw it away?" She questioned.

"I…I don't know actually. I thought it was boring, but something was nagging me on the inside about the ore. I don't know what I should do with it so I figured I'd just give it to you. You can sell it if you want. Find out what it's worth." With that, he got up and left, but not before saying goodbye to his new friend Muffy who, had a look on her face clearly saying she was dying to know what happened. When he stepped outside the exit, he released a huge breath of hair he didn't know he was holding. What happened back there was perhaps the most incredibly awkward moment in his life. He felt extremely weird around her. Feeling drowsy, he made his way home back to his farm. He'd have a quick dinner and go to sleep.

* * *

"That's a very nice gemstone you have there."

Nami looked around and noticed a rather portly man with long black hair that was braided looking at her.

"Beautiful isn't it." She nodded slowly.

"Allow me to introduce myself. I am Van. I collect, sell, and buy, rare items. That gemstone you have in your hand is an Alexandrite—an extremely rare stone. Well not in its normal form, but it is extremely rare to find one in such high quality such as the one in your hand."

"Someone gave it to me." She said.

"Well. Whoever gave it to you must've not known much about it. As you can see, it looks purple with a little red in it right?" She nodded.

"What makes Alexandrite so unique is its ability to change color under light. During daytime in the sun, the gem will appear as blue green. However, under incandescent light, it'll appear in some form of red or purple or reddish brown." He informed.

"If you want to sell it, I'm prepared to give you four-hundred fifty thousand dollars for it." He said.

"What?!" She exclaimed. "I'm sorry. I have to give this back to him." She said shocked as she stood up.

"If you change your mind. I'll be at the Inn." He said as she left.

When she stepped out of the bar, she realized it was too late in the night to go knocking on his door. He was probably asleep. She decided she'd return it to him in the morning.

* * *

Alexandrite :OOO RawrEroarrVerrIarrEurkW.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer – I still don't own the idea of Harvest Moon. Not even in my dreams.**

**As Plain as Brown**

_So what do you do? You keep it._

* * *

Nami was awake before the sun was up. She went to bed late. But she couldn't sleep well knowing she had a four hundred fifty thousand dollar gemstone sitting on the dresser. She felt it didn't belong to her—felt like she had robbed a bank. She was going to give it back. Now. She stripped herself of her old clothing and changed into a black wife beater and khaki shorts. After brushing her teeth and washing her face, she put on a new pair of socks and her shoes and headed out the inn towards Jack's farm.

On her way, she was beginning to feel relieved that she was going to get rid of it. However, as she neared his farm, she got nervous and more nervous with each step she took. She wasn't religious. But now she was. She prayed hard. She prayed that he'd have a shirt on when he opened the door. She was at his doorstep now. Sucking it up, she balled her right hand into a fist, raised it up, and knocked three times. A few seconds passed. Finally, he opened the door, rubbing his eyes looking extremely tired. She exhaled a breath of relief to see he was wearing a white shirt. But, she pinked a little when she saw that he was wearing blue boxers.

"Nami?" He looked surprised to see her.

He wasn't wearing his hat.

"What are you doing here at this hour?" He questioned with a yawn.

His hair was a little messy from sleep.

"..Hello?" He asked. He was beginning to feel uncomfortable

She stared.

"..Nami?" He asked worriedly.

Realizing what she had been doing, she mentally flurried herself with an array of curses, shouting each one as they fell from the blank sky in her mind.

"Sorry. I tend to space out when I'm tired." She said trying to hide the truth.

"Did you have to stare at me while you space out?" He pressed.

"It just happened.." She replied lamely.

"..You ok? You look awfully red." He asked with a look of worry implanted on his face.

"It's nothing." It was she could say.

"Ok then…"

"So what'd you come here for?" He asked.

"I'm came here to give this back to you." Glad he changed the subject, she handed him the gemstone back. He stared at the stone in his hand. She thought she saw hurt flash through his eyes.

"Do you know how much that thing is worth?" She asked. He shook his head.

"Well, that thing is worth four hundred fifty thousand dollars." She stated, glad that he looked surprised. Good. She'd finally be able to rid herself of that rock and be guilt free.

"Ok. I've done what I've come here to do. I'll see ya.." She started walking away. She looked back to see him still staring at the rock in his hand. _Hah. He's probably realizing how stupid he was for giving it away._ _He was lucky I was nice enough to give it back._

"Wait." _Crap. _She stopped and waited for him to come. He took her hand, placed the gemstone on her palm and closed it for her.

"You keep it." He stated.

"What? Why?" She was irritated now.

"I said I didn't want it before. And, I still don't want it now." He said.

"But it's worth four hundred and fifty dollars!" She was desperate to get rid of it.

"Please?" Now grasping her hand holding the rock with both of his.

"No. Absolutely not." She said firmly.

"Just keep it. For me?" He said.

"B-but—"

"You can sell it." He stated simply.

"Wha—you don't want the money?" He shook his head.

"Why would I want that money? All it'll do is make me feel like my—Never mind." He cut himself off.

"Hm?"

"It's nothing. Listen. Just keep it for me ok? Or, you could sell it. Ok?" He said quietly.

"…ok." She said defeated.

"I'll see you later Nami. I'm gonna hit the shower, grab some breakfast and begin the real work on my farm today. Why don't you stop by later? Maybe you can help me." He finished.

"…ok." She gave a little nod. And with that he closed the door quietly, leaving her to think about what happened. Walking slowly back to the inn, she thought about what he said. Why in the world did she accept. She was supposed have nothing to do with him. Now, she has to come back to him and she still has the stupid rock. What did she get herself into?

_He's hiding something. But what is it?_

* * *

Meanwhile. Jack was in the shower and an abrupt thought hit him.

_Wait. Wasn't that gemstone I gave her a reddish purple? Why was she trying to give something back to me in a different color? Was it even the same gemstone?_

* * *

_Just keep it._


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer – Nope. Still don't own Harvest Moon.**

As Plain as Brown

After his shower, he got dressed and headed to the kitchen. Checking in all the cupboards, he found nothing but an unopened bag of flour and a box of Special K. Grabbing the box of Special K, he noticed it was really light. Opening the box up, he found that it was empty except for a few pieces of stale cereal left. After blinking at it, he threw it in the recycle bin and checked the fridge. He spotted a small red container, a half empty jug of milk, and five eggs. Opening up the red container, he found nothing in it. It was spotlessly clean. What the hell? Why was it even in here then? Setting it in the cupboard, he decided he'd just make some pancakes.

He sifted the flour, baking soda, and salt together. Then he combined it with egg and milk. Afterwards he stirred until it was smooth. Lastly he stirred in some melted butter. He poured a circle of batter onto the heated pan and heard it sizzle a little. While watching it cook, he began to feel his heart speeding up. He tried to pass it off but the beating lasted. He sighed and gave in to it. He finished cooking a stack of four pancakes and put them on a plate. He took two steps and he was at the table. Sitting down, he realized he did not have syrup. Now he has to eat them dry. Disdainfully, he began eating his dry breakfast. All the while his heart rate was still up and he began to tap is right foot in anticipation. His throat tightened a little which made breathing a little difficult.

He hated this feeling. It struck at times most inconvenient—which is any time. It felt like a knot deep in the center of his gut. It didn't hurt, but it felt like something wanted to come out—maybe himself? Sort of. Whatever. But he knew for sure about this feeling. He felt it a lot of times—around people mostly, sometimes during doctors or dentist appointments. His arch nemesis. Nervousness—accompanied by his sidekick Low Self-Esteem makes a dangerous combo far more powerful than kryptonite. Why—because kryptonite is Superman's weakness.

On the other hand, Nervousness and Low Self-Esteem can be anyone's weakness. But, on the plus side, these two can be dealt with in time. Sucks badly for Superman. Now back to the point, this is the first time in his life that he had personally invited someone to his house—a girl too. Why did he invite her? Well, he guessed he wanted to change. He wanted to be better. So why not first get rid of his shell? But, perhaps he was jumping a tier high too fast? He should've made friends with a guy first. Not girls. At least with a guy he'd be able to talk a little bit more comfortably with. With girls, he didn't know. He didn't know what went on in their heads and he didn't want to talk about boys. But, Nami didn't look like the type of girl who would talk about boys. He felt a tiny better after that thought. After finishing his dry breakfast he grabbed a glass of milk and chugged it down. He then headed out to buy seeds to begin his farm—his heart continuing it's fast pace drumming.

* * *

Nami was in heaven. She is currently indulging herself in a delicious stack of banana pancakes topped with an overflow of syrup courtesy of the owner, Ruby—who also happens to be the chef of The Inn. That woman is amazing. She treats everyone like family. Anyway. She was enjoying eating it. She was eating it rather fast though—as if she were to stop, it'd run away.

"Damn! You can eat! But, then again mom's cooking makes all new-comers eat like that." Who was that? It was Rock—Ruby's son. Weird that he has blonde hair though. His parents both have black. He could have been adopted?

"Go away." She demanded. It's a shame. Whilst his mother is amazing, he's the complete opposite. He's nice at times, but most of the time he likes to fool around with people. This led her to conclude he wasn't the type for commitment. She could imagine him staying single for the rest of his life despite his good looks.

"Pfft. You're no fun at all." And he went away just like she demanded of him. Then again, you can tell him to do something and he'll do it even if he objects. Maybe there is still some hope for him.

She was bloated now. She leaned back in chair in content. Her thoughts reloaded back to the gemstone sitting in her pouch bag upstairs in her room. It was hers now. Should she sell it? Or keep it? Speak of the devil. She saw Van descending down the stairs at the corner of her eye.

"Oh good morning Nami. Have you made a decision about the alexandrite yet?" Crap. She knew this was coming.

"Ummm. Sorry…I lost it. I'm trying to look for it." She tried her best to feign a guilty look. She thought she failed though. She may have looked constipated instead.

"Oh? That's too bad. Well, come to me when you find it." And with that he headed towards Ruby—probably to order some of her delicious food. Why'd she lie though? She could've easily just said she needed more time. Well, she didn't know herself the reason why. For now, she'd just hold it. Damn Jack for making her keep it. It didn't help either knowing that she had to meet up with him again soon. Picking herself off the chair, she halfheartedly walked out of the Inn and headed towards Jack's farm. Hopefully things would go well. She didn't like being around him. She felt horribly weird, flustered, and—well, she couldn't deny this anymore. She was attracted to him. But, she didn't want to near him. Because? Because he's in the way. In the way of what? Her dream. Right. Her dream of seeing the world. And—also because? Because she's scared. Scared of—of…what? Love. She walked on, her heart taking on a fast rhythm.

* * *

"Nami?" She turned to see Muffy. The woman who forced Jack upon her—the source of her newly found troubles. She held a slimmer of hatred for her. But, Muffy was nice. She couldn't completely hate her.

"Hey." She greeted.

"Nice to see you! I was just on my way to the goddess pond. Are you headed to Jack's?" She asked.

"Yea. He told me to come and visit." She said cautiously. Knowing a little about Muffy from her overheard conversation with Jack, she'd expect some teasing.

"Ohhhh. A visit huh?" She said teasingly. She heard the emphasis on the word visit.

"It's just a visit." She said calmly.

"Ok. Well, he just came to me asking where to buy seeds a few minutes ago. I told him to go to Vesta's farm that way." She pointed behind her.

"Hope you have a good time with him." She winked and continued her way to the goddess pond.

Turning about face, she walked in the direction Muffy pointed. All the while, her heart was still going on with the fast beating that annoyed her.

* * *

True to her word, she spotted Jack staring disappointedly at the door of what must be Vesta's market house. He turned to walk back home and spotted her. He gave her a wave and a tiny smile.

"The store is opened at four pm and closes at six pm. That's got to be the shortest amount of time a store is ever open." He said in wonder.

"We can try the next town." She said.

"You've been there before?" He asked.

"No. But why not go exploring? Ruby said it's only a thirty-minute walk away." She said.

"Ok. Who's Ruby?" He asked.

"The owner of the Inn. You should meet her. She's a nice lady—an awesome cook too." She said.

"Maybe I'll do that." He said.

"Let's go." She said motioning her head towards their destination.

"Alright. If we get lost, I blame you." He said playfully. He received a piercing glare.

"Ok I won't." He said scratching the back of his head nervously. Things were going so well until now.

They walked in uncomfortable silence. Jack stared at the ground deep in thought. It really sucks—trying to think of stuff to say to break an uncomfortable silence.

Nami wasn't doing so well herself. She was fighting—fighting the urge to sneak a look at him. She didn't want to be caught staring again. It might give him ideas. And besides that, the silence was killing her. It's ok when it's quiet—when you're by yourself. However, with someone else, silence can get rather uncomfortable. She had to break it.

"Hey." She blurted. She didn't see the huge look of relief on his face.

"Hm?"

"This morning, what were you going to say?" She questioned.

"Huh?"

"After you gave the gemstone back to me. Remember?" She pushed.

"Oh." He became quiet and looked deep in thought and—worried?

"_Why would I want that money? All it'll do is make me feel like my—Never mind."_

Was he secretly rich or something?

"It's ok if you feel it's something you can't answer yet. But I want to know if you're ready." She said.

"Ok. Thanks."

Silence hit them again.

"Why don't we get to know a little about each other?" Jack asked.

"Ok. What do you want to know?"

"That the last name of yours you never gave me."

"McKay."

"Birthday?"

"June 27th."

"Yours?" She asked.

"September 19."

"Favorite color?" He asked.

"Brown."

"Yours?" She asked.

"Blue. Why do you like brown?"

"Why do you like blue?"

"Because it's nice on the eyes. Brown is so boring."

"What do you mean? Brown is nice. It's the color of delectable chocolate." It failed to change his opinion.

"Dreams or goals?" He asked.

"To see the world."

"Oooh. When are you planning on leaving this place?"

"I don't know."

"How about you?"

"The farm. And, maybe get married someday?" Hearing him say that sprouted something inside her—the seeds of want. But she wanted to fight it and cut it off.

"You're such a girl." She teased.

"Hm?"

"Girls have that dream."

"Well, I don't want to be alone for the rest of my life. Don't you want to settle down at some point in your life?"

"Why don't you just screw some random chick to satisfy yourself when you need it like all other guys?"

"Well I'm not like "all other guys". And I'm sure that a handful of men including myself want more than just sex. I want to feel love."

She was losing to him. Her health bar was in the red zone.

"Is sex all you think is needed in a relationship?"

"Ah…no…" She said defeated. Her health bar is now zero.

"Then we're on the same boat."

"You sound like a virgin."

"I am a virgin."

She was weakening—her will at least. It was his fault. This feeling of want, it has already started growing. It's just a sprout. But knowing he has never given himself to anyone was the manure, making it grow faster. As soon as this trip was over, she was leaving the next day. She's been with him too long. Fifteen minutes was too long.

* * *

Shippostail: Awwwwwwww. I'm late! I keep forgetting how much time writing a story can steal from you. It took me eleven hours to wright 2,005 words? But it's fun though. More fun than video games. I'll need to work on speed. I'll work on chapter 5 as soon as I wake up. Screw breakfast. It's 3 in the morning right now and i'll probably wake up at twelve anyway. When I wake up, It'll be lunch time. xD


	5. Chapter 5

****

Disclaimer – I hold no rights to any of Natsume's characters or the original idea of Harvest Moon.

* * *

As Plain As Brown

The rest of their journey was in silence. Jack was worried. He shouldn't have said all that stuff. She probably thought he was a loser now. He was too open. They walked on, hearing each other footsteps. The next thing that happened was kind of funny. He had been staring at the ground as he walked, but he missed the obvious pointy looking rock glued to the dirt and tripped over it. He didn't fall—he had managed to catch his balance, but it made Nami laugh. He felt a smile forming on his face.

"You have a nice laugh." He said admiringly. The comment made her stop and flush. Hearing him say it in that way made her feel mushy. In her flushed state, she spotted Jack lagging behind. She thought he wanted some space. So she let him be. But in an instant, he was behind her, tickling her vigorously by the sides. She burst out laughing.

"There we go." He grinned. She pushed him away.

"What the hell was that for?" She yelled.

"I like your laugh." He simply said. Damn him. She didn't know what to say. So he liked her laugh. Big deal. But she was frustrated from the feeling she felt in her chest. He had made her weak in only two sentences.

"You didn't have to tickle me." She said annoyed.

"But I wanted to hear it." She mentally begged him to stop flustering her.

"I won't tickle you again if you don't want me to." He said apologetically.

And the silence came back.

He was compelled to do it. He had to hear her laugh again. It sounded nice in his ears. You know when you've just listened to a song that you find you really like so you want to listen to it again? To him, her laugh was one of those songs. So he hit the replay button.

"How old are you? I'm twenty-two" He asked.

"Twenty-three." She responded.

"A year older? That's not so bad." Nami gave him a look.

"What do you mean?" She pressed.

"Eh—nothing." He looked down embarrassed. He surprised himself. He wasn't sure himself what he meant by that.

Nami had to admit that he looked adorable when he was embarrassed—like a little boy caught red-handed trying to get into the cookie jar. But, what he said—it sounded like—she couldn't help but think. Was he interested in her? That mushy feeling came back to her again. Twenty-two minutes with this man. Her digital wristwatch was pissing her off—he was pissing her off. Why'd time have to be so slow when you don't want it to be? She couldn't stand to be with him. He's like poison flowing through her bloodstream. Every second with him was making her weaker and weaker and every now and then, a huge wave of pain would pass. Wait. There it is. The sign. Mineral Town. It gave her a little bit of relief. She'd still be stuck with him, but at least there would be other people.

"We're here." She said. He nodded.

"I wonder what's in this town." He thought aloud.

"People obviously." She bit back.

"Oh." He said quietly. He felt the irritation in her voice—irritation for him. And it saddened him. The trek through the town was in silence. This time, neither of them cared. One was frustrated, and the other was sad. The sad one was afraid to speak in fear of making it worse whilst the frustrated one just didn't want to talk. As they walked around, they spotted a few homes here and there as well as several buildings consisting of an old, run down empty farm, a blacksmith shop, a library, a bakery, another inn, and at last a supermarket.

"I'll wait here outside for you." She said. He just nodded, still troubled by her attitude. Putting up a front, he opened the door and entered. He spotted two people talking. A guy, although he was wearing a deep blue UMA hat, Jack was able to tell he was red headed through the space between the resizing strap (although not like Nami's, it was orange) was talking to a woman who had long dirty blonde hair. He was wearing a plain white t-shirt tucked in his jeans along with brown caterpillar brand shoes. As for the woman, she wore a purple loose fit t-shirt and he couldn't see what she was wearing below for she was standing behind the check out counter and he didn't want to check to see. What was interesting about her on sight was that she had two streaks of clean blonde hair hanging down the sides of her pretty face—a trait he found attractive. He was pretty sure she was taken. Who wouldn't want her?

"You think she'll like it?" The guy asked. The guy was so quiet; Jack almost missed what he asked. Even quieter than Jack was himself. He wondered if he was like him. But then he could be more like one of those strong and silent types. He seemed to be holding a charm bracelet.

"I'm positive." The woman replied sure of herself.

"Thanks." He said in his quiet voice. Jack coughed to get their attention.

"Excuse me. Do you sell seeds?" He asked.

"Mhm. They're at the way end at the wall." She said nicely, pointing to his left.

"Ok. Thanks a bunch." He thanked quickly and headed towards the seeds. He didn't want to make Nami angrier by making her wait any longer. Spring, summer, fall, and winter were labeled below each section of seeds. Not even bothering to look at the selection of seeds or the price, he grabbed two bags of each type from the spring section and quickly headed back to purchase them. Setting them on the counter in front of her, she began scanning through them. She scanned through them like a pro and in less than thirty seconds, she was done.

"Your total is thirteen dollars and seventy four cents." She said. Jack pulled out a ten and a five and handed it to her.

"Fifteen." The cash register opened and she put the money in before getting out the change.

"Your change is one dollar and twenty six cents." She handed him his change.

"Thanks." He said and began to leave.

"Wait!" She motioned her hand for him to come.

"Hm?"

"I haven't seen you before. Are you new here?" She asked.

"Actually I've just moved into the valley and I came here to buy seeds since the store down there isn't open until later." He said.

"Ohhhh. Couldn't you have just waited?" She laughed.

"I could've, but I thought, what the heck. Why not check out the town nearby?" He said.

"Ahh. I'm Karen Wilson and this is Gray Wright." She pointed to the guy she was talking to.

Gray gave him a nod.

"Jack Harvest." He shook hands with them.

"Gray here is a blacksmith in training. But looking at the charm bracelet he made, he seems to be ready." Karen said.

"I think he is too. It looks amazing." Jack said.

"Pfft. Grandpa doesn't seem to think so." Gray said solemnly.

"Relax Gray, he's just hard on you because he wants you to be the best." Her encouragement wasn't working on him.

"Guys, I have to go now. Someone is waiting on me. It was nice meeting you guys. I'll call you Gray when I need a tool fixed." Gray nodded.

"It was nice meeting you too. Come back anytime. Oh and say hi to your girlfriend for me would you?" She said on his way out.

"But she isn't--" He began.

"Bye!" Karen cut him off.

Huh? Girlfriend? Nami wasn't his girlfriend! He blushed. He opened the door to see her looking piercingly at him.

"Took you long enough." She already started walking. Jack sighed. The whole trek back to the valley was in silence. Jack lagged behind, thinking about what he did to make her this way. But, he had only tickled her. Perhaps she hated being tickled. When they arrived back at the valley, Jack thought it was best to apologize for whatever he did before their separate ways.

"Nami I want to—" He began.

"See ya." She cut him off and headed towards the Inn. Jack sighed to himself sadly and headed home to prepare the field.

* * *

Gray opened the library door and the door chime rang, announcing his entrance. He looked around in search of someone. He then heard a quick pitter-patter of feet hurry through the top floor and down the stairs. There she is.

"Oh. Gray. It's nice to see you." Even though they were a couple, she always greets him formally. No "honey" or "babe". It just didn't sound like her to say those things.

"Hi Mary. I stopped by to give you something." He showed her the charm bracelet.

"Oh Gray. It's beautiful! You made this yourself?" He nodded proudly.

"You're amazing." She kissed his left cheek and hugged him. He blushed. She smelled different. New perfume?

"Ok. I have to go now. Grandpa is going to have a fit if I don't make it back in time." He wanted to stay longer, but he didn't want to face an angry Saibara.

"Ok. Bye-bye." She kissed. And with that, she was up the stairs again. Probably to arrange books. She was crazy about them. She writes stories too—she writes on any genre—but he loved her romances. It's how he fell attracted to her. And in a way, she was like a book herself. You silently read her, and each day you learn something. You get hooked on her and you can't stop reading. And you don't want to. He wasn't sure if it was love, but he could be in it now. He just wasn't sure.

* * *

Karen arrived at Rick's house to check up on Lilia—mother of Rick and Popuri. She'd been sick for a while now and had been stuck at home for a long time. Karen wanted to make her feel less lonely. Lilia was in the kitchen sitting and having tea. She looked tired.

"Why hello Karen. What a nice surprise." Lilia smiled

"Just came to see you. How are you feeling?" Karen asked. To Karen, Lilia was like a second mother—always loving her unconditionally. She always made her smile every time she came for a visit. But lately, Lilia looked like her condition had been getting worse. This worried Karen immensely.

"Not too well lately. I don't think I'm going to get better." Lilia said depressingly yet she kept a smile on her face.

"Hey don't say that. You're husband is out there trying to find a cure." Karen said. At this, Lilia became quiet. A few moments passed and then she quietly let out.

"No. No I'm not. He's gone." She said. Lilia's eyes began to water.

"Yea. Because he's out searing for a cure." Karen countered.

"No. I meant he's dead." The tears were now falling freely.

"What?" Karen said in disbelief.

"A about a year ago. I received a letter from a hospital in the city." She said.

"_Mom! What does the letter say?" Popuri asked excitedly. Rick seemed interested in it too._

"_Nothing. It was just junk mail." Lilia told her kids._

"_Oh." Her daughter said disappointed. Rick shook his head and went back to reading the newspaper._

"It said he got shot in the chest three times. He died before they got to the hospital." Lilia continued.

"And you didn't tell them anything?" Karen was now crying.

"They love him so much." She managed. She didn't sob. But the tears continued to fall silently.

"At least they would know!" Karen cried.

_Lilia threw the crumpled letter in trash bin and sat on her bed by the window. Tears silently slid down her cheeks. She sat there silently crying until she couldn't cry anymore. Finally she gave in to sleep. _

"You're right, I should've told them. I just couldn't bare to see them hurt." Lilia said guiltily. Karen was about to say something but Rick barged in, holding an unconscious Popuri in his arms.

"Something is wrong with Popuri! Call the doctor!" He said in a rush. The women whipped their tears in a hurry, hoping that Rick hadn't seen them. Right now, they were in a crisis. They didn't need any more drama—especially from Rick—at least not yet. Karen quickly rushed to grabbed the telephone while Lilia got up to assist Rick in bringing her upstairs into her bed room.

* * *

Jack entered his home and took off his hat. Running a hand through his sweat-filled hair, he sighed. He couldn't concentrate well on the farm. Knowing that Nami was mad and it was because of him, bothered him greatly. He wanted to find out why and try to apologize again without any interruptions. But, he'd do it tomorrow morning. Right now, he needed a shower.

_end chapter_

* * *

**Shippostail**: Alright now. My friend got me curious. He said he imagined Jack with a southern accent and i was wondering what kind of accent you guys imagine him with. I've always imagined him with a clean accent. Although, a southern accent wouldn't sound too bad on him when I tried imagining it.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer – News people! Front-page news! It says on this newspaper that I still don't own Harvest Moon or any of Natsume's original characters!**

* * *

As Plain as Brown

These things called emotions—why do we have them? Easy question. If we had no emotion, all of us human beings would simply exist as robots—soulless—only doing and never feeling—never expressing. Living in a world like that sounds pretty horrifying doesn't it? Emotions are interesting. How did we even name then anyway? How do we even give names to anything? What if happiness was called sadness instead and hatred be called love? You whisper the words "I hate you" in your lover's ears as you both hold each other tightly. Sounds laughable—because we already know happiness as happiness as well as all the other emotions as themselves.

It's also quite interesting that some emotions are combinations of others. Just like how the primary colors can be mixed to form secondary colors and so on. You have your basic emotions—joy, acceptance, fear, surprise, sadness, disgust, anger, and anticipation. Then you have your advanced emotions—optimism: a combination of anticipation and joy, love: joy and acceptance, submission: acceptance and fear, awe: fear and surprise, disappointment: surprise and sadness, remorse: sadness and disgust, contempt: disgust and anger, and aggressiveness: anger and anticipation. In the course of one day, I felt all but four—joy, acceptance, optimism, and love.

Love didn't really count though. It's too early for that. "Love at first sight" is a bit too fast to be called love. Isn't it just simply just an extremely strong attraction? It should instead be called "Lust at first site". Love is the whole package—holding aspects of passion and care. I fear of being in it. It's such a foreign feeling despite knowing about it for I haven't experienced it myself. The thought of love made me feel contempt—love is an obstruction—a barrier in the way of my dream—a wrong detour.

He surprised me by suddenly appearing in my life. I was disgusted of how weak I felt when he was around me and became aggressive towards him—blaming him for everything and in turn, it saddened me because he doesn't deserve it. I'm angry because of all that's happened. I was somewhat submissive, in which I wasn't able to deny my attraction for him anymore. I was awed when he said he was a virgin. I even felt a little anticipation in him being attracted to me. I was disappointed in myself for troubling so much over a guy. I felt a bit of remorse for setting eyes on him in the first place. I couldn't feel optimism, joy, or acceptance. How could I? Nothing that reached a level of satisfactory had happened today. I got rid of him, but then, why wasn't I happy? No. I don't want to answer that. I already have a big clue of what it is. I don't want to say it. Saying it to myself would ruin everything and most importantly my dream.

Three knocks caused her to snap her head towards the door. She could only think of two people who would knock on her door. And they were Ruby and Rock.

"Nami?"

Her eyes widened. It was neither of them. It was—

"It's Jack." So much for getting rid of him.

"You there?" Nami stayed silent, hoping he'd leave. She heard him sigh. Why is he here?

"I-I came to apologize. I didn't like it—seeing you mad at me. I'm sorry for whatever I've done." She waited a few moments before hearing his footsteps as he walked away. Apologize? More guilt shot at her heart. He had nothing to apologize for.

* * *

Jack walked down the stairs with weights of insecurity and rejection set on his shoulders. She probably never wants to see or hear from him again.

"Did you get to talk to Nami?" Ruby asked him as he stepped down. He gave a light shrug and then shook his head. The look in his eyes told her pretty much how it went.

"I'm sure she'll talk to you tomorrow." She said in an attempt to make him feel better. Jack gave her a small sad smile and said

"I don't think she wants to talk to me. But thanks for letting me upstairs. It was nice meeting you Ruby." Jack said trying to sound fine. Jack bid her farewell and left as quietly as he could, leaving behind a concerned Ruby.

* * *

Another knock at the door caught Nami's attention.

"Nami, its Ruby. I have your dinner." Her voice rang through the door.

"It was nice of you to bring it up here for me, but I'm not feeling too hungry tonight. I'm sorry. I should've told you before I came up here." Nami responded trying to sound tired.

"Oh, that's too bad. Well, you get some rest. You sound horribly tired. Maybe Rock would want some more gratin…" And just like that the door opened.

"Wait!" Nami shouted.

"Wow that was fast." Ruby laughed but then was shocked when Nami quickly grabbed the tray of food off her hands and tried to withdraw back into the room.

"Thanks!" Nami quickly gushed out.

"Ah-ah, no you don't." Ruby stopped the door from closing with her hand.

"What?" Nami asked feeling cornered.

"I want to have a little chat with you." Ruby said. This gave Nami the feeling it wasn't going to be about what she should cook tomorrow.

"About…?" Nami asked slowly.

"Why don't you have a seat on your bed and eat. We'll talk inside." Ruby suggested stepping inside and quietly closing the door. Nami set herself and the tray down on the bed. She stared at the plate of gratin greedily eating it with her eyes. She took her first bite and no sooner than a two seconds after, she had her second bite already in her mouth—and her third—and her fourth.

"And you weren't hungry." Ruby said smugly. Nami blushed in mild shame. Ruby let out a heartfelt laugh.

"So you like gratin that much." Ruby said more to herself. Nami nodded vigorously. Ruby smiled and sat on the chair at the desk facing herself towards Nami.

"I met Jack." Ruby started. Nami slowed down her eating and took on a passive look.

"Nice guy." Ruby continued.

"When he came down the stairs, he looked sad. Did something happen?" Ruby asked. Nami shook her head and took another bite.

"He came to apologize for nothing." Nami answered Ruby's next question before it came.

"What'd you say to him?" Ruby pressed. Nami stared out the window in silence. Ruby then remembered what Jack said and got the picture.

"Why didn't you say anything?" Ruby was really curious now.

"He was bothering me." Nami accused and finished the last bite of her dinner. Ruby raised an eyebrow at her.

"How—exactly?" Ruby questioned.

"Eh…umm…" Nami panicked and tried to come up with a reason that seem plausible. Ruby noticed Nami's discomfort. She edged in a bit on Nami and eyed her closely.

"I think I know what's going on…" Ruby stated rather triumphantly. Nami gazed at her in fear.

"You like him." Ruby asserted.

"W-what? No!" Nami cried.

"Liar." Ruby returned. Nami was freaking out.

"That is so cute! Nami, you picked yourself a looker!" Ruby squealed. Nami hid her heated face between her hands.

"Shhhhhhh! Keep it down would you! And I don't like him!" Nami pleaded.

"Ok. Ok. Tell me then, why were you hesitating to give me a reason?" Ruby slyly asked. Nami took a few moments before admitting

"I'm leaving tomorrow." This caused an immediate downfall in Ruby's mood.

"You're leaving?" Ruby asked in shock. Nami nodded. Ruby frowned.

"Wait. That still doesn't answer my question." Ruby observed. Nami exhaled deeply and stared out the window taking a drink of the glass of water.

"You wouldn't want to leave with a guilty conscience. Would you?" Ruby implied.

"You're saying I should go and make amends with him?" Nami asked. Ruby nodded in confirmation.

"But I don't want to…" Nami whined.

"Because you really like him and you're afraid?" Ruby added with amusement dangling dangerously in the corners of her smile. Nami stared pointedly at her for a moment.

"Fine. I'll go to him tomorrow before I leave." Nami said defeated. Ruby chuckled lightly.

"I better go and wash these dishes. Don't stay up too late now because tomorrow, I'm cooking you a spectacular breakfast before you go and I don't want you tired. I want you to enjoy it." Ruby said exiting the room, tray in hands. Nami nodded.

"Ok." Nami responded. Nami started out the darkening view outside only to snap her head back to the entrance of the door when Ruby came back.

"On second thought, stay up as long as you want. That way, I'll have time to bold the door shut and put bars on the window." Ruby insinuated with a smile.

"What?" Nami laughed.

"Just joking." Ruby drawled and quickly left only to poke herself back in again.

"Please stay!" She begged. Nami looked at her in sympathy but shook her head.

"I have to go." Nami declared. Ruby frowned.

"Why?" She wailed.

"It's my dream to see all the amazing sights of the world." Nami maintained.

"But, couldn't you do that later?" Ruby tried to reason. Nami shook her head.

"The world is a big place Ruby. Who knows how long it would take." Nami said.

"Ok. I'll just go downstairs and cry…" Ruby murmured sadly and finally tracked her way down the flight of stairs. Nami curled her knees to her chest and gazed out the window again in troubled thought. Now, Ruby is making it even harder for her to leave. Nami let out a stressed sigh but then quickly hardened her composure. She was going to leave Forget-Me-Not Valley. Nothing would get in her way.

* * *

Lilia, Karen, and Rick sat around the walls of Popuri's room anxiously—well, Rick was pacing around the room back and forth. Doctor Tim sat at the edge of Popuri's bed with a hand on her forehead checking for signs of overheating or fevers. Her temperature was fine.

"Were you with her when she fainted?" Trent asked him. Rick nodded.

"Yea, but what does that have to do with her fainting?" Rick questioned yet it sounded more like a demand.

"Some things—sometimes everything. What were the two of you doing?" Tim questioned further.

"Arguing." Rick simply said. Tim nodded.

"Nothing Else?" Tim asked. Rick shook his head.

"Before that, we were taking care of the chickens and then Popuri starting going on about Kai." Rick added.

"And that's when you guys started arguing correct?" Tim finished for him.

"Yes." Rick said. Tim rubbed his hand against his chin in thought.

"I'm guessing she fainted from the stress of arguing with you." Tim alleged.

"Don't let your anger get the best of you Rick. Exploding every time you hear something you don't agree with may lead to consequences you do not want. It's understood that an older brother would feel protective, but protecting her from absolutely everything isn't right. She's not a child anymore Rick. She can make her own decisions—and that includes liking whoever she wants. She'll make some stupid decisions, but she'll learn from them." Tim scolded.

"I can control my anger! And, Kai is not good for her, he's—

"Tim's right Rick. And, Kai is definitely not a playboy. If anyone is a playboy here on this island, it's Skye." Karen intruded.

"Whose side are you on?" Rick bit back at her. Karen gave him an annoyed look before standing up and walking over to Popuri on the opposite side of where Tim was. Karen gently clasped Popuri's hand with her own and said

"Popuri's." She declared. They all watched Rick growl in pent up anger before he marched out of the room.

"Lilia, may I have your permission to take a blood sample from Popuri? I want to check if there is something else that may be going on inside her." Tim asked. Lilia nodded.

"Yes please." Lilia insisted. Tim nodded and prepared the sterilized needle.

"After I'm done with Popuri, I'll give you a check up to see how you're doing." Tim continued. Lilia nodded.

_Popuri quietly and slow opened the door to her mother's room and cautiously peaked in. Seeing that she was asleep, she took the chance and quietly snuck into the room and left the door wide open in case of an immediate escape. Where was that letter? No. Not in the desk. No. It's not hiding beneath her clothes in the drawers. Where could it be? How about underneath her pillow? What a very, very risky task. But what must me done, must be done! Reach in slowly now. You don't want to wake her up. No? Wow. Where the heck is it? She looked around everywhere. There was nothing under the bed. Then she spotted it—in the trash bin. There it was, sitting all by its lonesome self, crumpled in the trash bin. Success! She hurriedly straightened the letter out and read it with interest. Seconds passed. Two minutes passed. Droplets of tears were now laid on the floor in front of her. Not being able to stand the pain and not wanting to wake her mother up, she hurriedly reverted the paper back to its previous form and place and left without a word. Her father…now she didn't have one._

Her eyes bolted open and felt them glisten. She looked around her surroundings and saw the doctor, her mom, and Karen all sitting and talking. She kept silent as she listened to them.

"You should tell them soon." Spoke Karen. Lilia looked reluctant.

"They have a right to know." Tim argued along side Karen. Popuri felt a very dull pain in her left arm looked to see a small bandage in the pit of her elbow.

"How am I supposed to tell them that their father is dead?" Lilia asked tearfully. Karen put a hand on Lilia shoulder as an act of comfort.

"They're going to know something is wrong when their father won't show up after five years." Karen warned.

"I already know…" A voice spoke up calmly.

* * *

**AN**: My apologies for being slow on this chapter. It was difficult for some reason. Can't explain it exactly. D:


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer – I got my report card in June. I got an A in physics, design and implementations, and CAD, a C+ in Algebra 2, and I failed badly at owning Natsume's characters and the original idea of Harvest Moon. I don't own the door-knocking article either. And, I own Jas.**

* * *

**As Plain as Brown**

Door-knocking. Did you know that it's an art? Apparently it's a lost art. I never knew it was one until I came across this article in a magazine whose title I never bothered to look at—don't even remember when but it stayed in my head. It suggested doing some interesting things. But, the idea I found most interesting was the first one. Begin with a door-hanger: leave a door hanger two days before you go door-knocking. It prepares people for a visit. The door-hanger should briefly describe the project and say that someone will be around in person. As interesting as it was, it was also funny—and scary. What if some stranger leaves a door-hanger on your door saying, "You'll be dead in two days".

Horrible. Although it's nice to warn someone before knocking on their door, I wouldn't be thinking so if it were my door. Receiving a heads-up for a visit doesn't sit well with me. I'd rather open the door and ponder the reason for the visit than to wait any amount of time anxiously speculating it. That's torture—for me at least. Serial killers, total strangers, or if it's someone I've recently just met—It'd make me a nervous wreck. Just like now. On my doorknob held a door-hanger. It wasn't like the cards you see outside the island that have some form of advertisement on them. This one was just a piece of paper attached to a length of string. Don't know when it got there, but it must have been when I was in the fields. One look at it and I'm already worrying.

I examined the ripped piece of paper. What a relief. It wasn't a visiting notice. But, then I find myself needing some more relief. On one side it read, "I'm sorry". On the other it read, "Good-bye"—it was from Nami. What's this all about? I couldn't help but feel a sense of loss. I don't know. It didn't feel good. I feel like I just got rejected—door-hanger style. So she's gone now. I yanked the door-hanger off and let it slip off my hands and onto the dirt. The wind picked up and carried the note along with it. It felt nice. It's as if it was trying to make me feel better—it did—a little. Ah, well. I'll just keep moving forward right? Right. It's always so much easier to just say it. But, it's so much harder to do.

When I think about it, sometimes it's harder to say than to do and, in some cases both. Like, giving presentations. Public speaking was never a strong area for me—any kind of thing where I need to be performing in the presence of people. I hate that. I hate the spotlight. I hate it all. My mind frequently freezes rendering all thoughts and ideas useless. If I were an animal, I'd probably be a deer. Fits me perfectly—a deer caught under headlights—and brown. If only I was more like a dog—cuter looking, playful, eager to please, and lovable. Few dogs are rarely ever rejected. Haha. I'm so pathetic. Now I'm imagining a dog whining. I realized I wasn't when I felt my body jump in shock. Something nudged me. I looked down to see the imagined lost dog—no, not dog—puppy—a silver labrador retriever puppy, shivering with it's tail between the legs. It's eyes though. I've never seen that color on a dog before—green apple? This handsome puppy astounded me. Immediately I picked the shivering puppy from under the front legs. It's male. The puppy shivered vigorously from the cold and whined. I held him close like you would a baby.

"Where'd you come from?" I asked him. I received a few licks under on my chin.

"Ah. Whatever. I'm keeping you." I felt his breathing slow down. I wonder what happened to him. An overwhelming feeling of joy filled me. Dogs are the greatest of magicians you know? You give one look at them, and you feel good. Yep. I'm keeping him. And I've already come up with a name for him.

* * *

Ruby was in the front of the inn sweeping when a ripped piece of paper attached to a length of string landed a ways away from her. Picking it up and looking it over, she gasped.

"No she didn't…" She let out in quiet horror.

* * *

Nami stood at the docks of Mineral Town staring at the ferry. Looks like it could also carry a car along since it had a flat surface and a gate to keep it from falling into the ocean.

"Ma'am. You going get on?" She heard a gruff voice behind her. She looked at the old boat driver with uncertainty.

"It's hard to leave this island isn't it?" He stated.

"It's like this every time I come here. This place has just about the best atmosphere you'll ever find anywhere. The people here are warm and welcoming. I'm lucky to be the driver of this boat because I get to come back here every week." He continued. Nami stared out into the ocean with a look of indifference.

"You know, you don't have to go now if you're that unsure. Tell you what. I'll make you a deal. I'm not letting you step onto this boat as long you hold that look of uncertainty in your eyes." He declared.

"I'm ready." Nami said sounding sure.

"No can do Missy. I've already seen it. You'll have to try again next Wednesday." He said.

"Hey. I never agreed to the deal sir." Nami said sternly. She was getting pissed off. How dare he deny her.

"No matter. I'm still not letting you on." He responded.

"Fine. I'll wait for another boat to come and get me." She said bitterly.

"Hehe. Better hope it's a pirate ship because I'm the only boat that comes here." He remarked amusingly.

"I'll swim!" She suggested although she wasn't sure she'd be able to, but she was stubborn.

"You sure you wouldn't tire yourself to death, drown, or get eaten by a shark? You know, it's really far." He mentioned. Nami made it clear she wasn't happy by giving a growl. She had had enough.

"You take your time Missy." He began.

"It's Nami." She bit back loudly enough for him to hear as she walked away.

"Ok Nami. Like I said. Take your time. Leave when you're absolutely sure you're going to leave." He waved. Nami stopped and thought about what he said. Things weren't going as planned. And she was aggravated. But grudgingly, he was right. What good does it make going to different places when all you have in your head is only one. Ok. She'll fix this. She'll just do as he says—stay. All she needs is to do some repairs. Yes. Just like fixing a car. When she's done, she can go. Easy.

* * *

Ruby could not believe Nami did this. She said she was going to visit him. Not leave a message. This—this message—short and simple it was, but, leaving this kind of message sounds more like a rejection note. Nami was so going to get it. Maybe. Maybe that's what she was trying to do. She snickered. Ruby may be nice, but Nami wasn't going to get away with this. Ruby was certain Nami would be back. Ah. There he is.

"Jack. Can I speak with you?" She called out to him. He seemed to be holding something—a baby? Couldn't be. Must be a puppy. He nodded and stood up from the doorstep.

"Aw. Is that a puppy?" Ruby asked cooingly. He smiled and nodded.

"When'd you get him?" She asked petting him with the back of her hand. The fur feels softer that way. She had to keep herself from squealing his adorableness. Animals were born cute probably as a defense mechanism. And it's a good one. Who can hurt something so adorable?

"A few minutes ago. This little guy came out of no where and scared me." He said fondly.

"Did you give him a name yet?" She continued to question.

"Mage." He replied.

"Mage. A Magician. Fits him perfectly." Ruby commented.

"I thought so too." He agreed. He's a magician all right. She almost forgot what she was supposed to do.

"Oh yes. I came by to invite you to a party. I'm throwing one this afternoon because I feel like it." She started. She wasn't absolutely positively one hundred percent sure Nami was coming back. But, when she was younger and pregnant with Rock, she was about to leave the island until she met the driver of the ferry. It was then he made a deal with her. She wouldn't be let on as long as she held a look of uncertainty in her eyes. So she stayed—was forced too. She swore she held not once ounce of uncertainty.

She had nothing left on this island except the Inn that no one came too. At least before her husband died. Many people used to come. Even those who lived in the valley stayed in on occasion. Her husband, the original owner had died. Back then she didn't know why he kept the Inn. He charged low fairs each night and they barely made any profit. Most of what came in went into keeping up the Inn and food. And, back then she wasn't much of a cook. Her husband cooked and everyone loved whatever he made. She just helped here and there. She did not understand his reason. But, she loved him. And, so she asked him why he charged such low fairs. He answered.

"_The kind of profit I want to gain isn't money_." And it was all he said. Even then she never got it. That's when they argued and it ended badly with her in tears. Her husband regretted fighting and went out in the pouring rain. She didn't know the real reason until he came back an hour and a half later—a bouquet of blue magic flowers at hand.

"These were all I could find." He said apologetically. She didn't care very much for flowers. But she was touched that he went through the trouble just for her. She dove into his arms and enveloped him in a crushing hug. She kissed him right then and there. That was also the night when Rock was conceived. Thinking about that night still makes her blush.

Then, things started going wrong when a few days later he fell ill—Pneumonia—and then was taken away by it. It wasn't until he was being buried she broke down. A week after, she closed down the Inn and headed to Mineral Town to board the ferry that would take her elsewhere—wouldn't take her elsewhere. So she went back to the Inn. Still, she wondered about the profit he wanted to gain. She tried to find it out. She was desperate to see what it was that he found more worth than money. So she tried to be him. She couldn't mirror his cooking though. Everyone loved his cooking. She tried--she followed the recipe exactly as it says. But old Nina didn't think it was all that wonderful.

"It's ok. But, it tastes like you rushed to get it done. Something is missing." And Ruby asked what it was.

"Where is your heart?" Nina answered with a question with a question of her own and left Ruby to her own thoughts. She thought about it for a long time and kept asking the question to herself. She couldn't find an answer. But she tried cooking again—slowly and carefully this time, in hopes of finding what was missing. And she felt it. It was small, but she felt it in her heart. The feeling grew bigger as she spent more time laying each layer of sauce, cottage cheese, and pasta. Lastly she sprinkled multitudes of cheese all over on top. She covered the dish with aluminum foil, inserted it into the pre-heated oven, and waited anxiously.

"Perfect. Tastes just like how Jas made it." Nina beamed. And she got it. She now understood what it was that he wanted. And it was to make people happy. And she saw it for herself—she had made someone happy with her cooking. And she felt happy too. Without really noticing, she had become just like him herself. And she stayed. She had the boat driver to thank for that. Ruby hoped Nami would encounter him. She's throwing the party for "no reason" as a safety in case Nami was able to leave. If she did come back, that would be good because Nami was going to get it. She didn't know what "it" was, but she'll come up with something.

"You ok?" Jack waved a hand in front of her face. Ruby spaced out on him.

"Oh. Oh yes—yes. I'm fine." Ruby assured.

"I'll go. At what time?" Jack asked.

"One. Well, come over an hour early please? I want you to help me cook. I need all the help I can get." Ruby pleaded.

"Ok." Jack replied. That left him with an hour and fifteen minutes.

"See you there!" Ruby said pleased he agreed. Yes. Nami was going to get it.

* * *

"Lets go get you some things buddy." Jack whispered to his sleeping companion.

* * *

_Some Notes:_

_1) Jas's name is short for Jasper--another type of gemstone/rock. His last name(as well as Ruby's and Rock's) is Ameth--short for Amethyst._

_2) I noticed that I've become a fan of using Em Hyphens (Hyphens with the same width as "M"). Theres like a few or a bunch of them in every chapter. But I like them. XD_


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer – I don't Harvest Moon or any of Natsume's original characters.**

* * *

As Plain as Brown

Nami browsed the isle of magazines in boredom. She had met Karen and her bright personality lessened her anger immensely, but nevertheless, she was still a bit mad. She wouldn't say it aloud, but, deep, deep, deep in the depths of her body, she felt sort of relieved she was forced to stay. She'd be able to stay with Ruby and that cheered her up a little, but she wouldn't go back just yet. Her pride wouldn't let her. And, she didn't know if she could face him. She left him a farewell note—yes, she was a huge coward—and it would feel awkward being there when she is supposed to be gone. So she figured she'd just hang around in the magazine isle of the small mini market and read everything before she'd head back.

"_Is your current diet plan not working? Try the protein and sugar diet_!" She gave the magazine a look of disgust. Diets never work in the long run unless you can dedicate yourself to it. And, somehow the idea of committing herself solely to protein and enhancing the chances for diabetes didn't seem all that great to her. Where is the gratin! She set the magazine back to its original place. "_See all the hottest of fashions_!" Ugly. Ugly. Ugly. That's freaking ugly. Damn it she's wrapped in clear plastic! Not even hookers would wear that. She set it back in disgust.

"_Sex and Astrology for Women_"_. It's that time again! The time where we announce which of the astrologic signs we think deserves to be called Lover of the Month! And the winner this month is? May we have a drum roll please?_

_The Virgo Man! Yes. You heard right. When you meet a man born under this sign, chances are, he's a virgin. To just about everyone, these men seem shy and reserved. Well, they are. But, we find it as a huge turn on. Do not ever, ever make the mistake of assuming that since they're shy, they don't make great lovers. On the contrary, these men are just literally, sex bombs waiting to detonate. The only downsides we found with these guys is that despite them being nice, they take an incredible amount of time to get close to and it's difficult to tell if they like you or not. Perhaps because they spend a lot of time analyzing you as a way to get to know you. When it comes to relationships, these guys are the most serious—they don't go for one-time flings. And, forget the fact that they can be critical on people. They aren't nearly as harsh on others as they are on themselves, which is the reason why they tend to shy away from relationships (especially romantic and often enough, friendly) and live on as virgins—hence the name given to them. But, good things happen to those who wait._

_When they fall for someone, they fall hard—if not, the hardest of all the zodiac signs. His love will burn with a steady flame, never fluctuating—almost impossible to extinguish. He is extremely caring and always gentle (especially in bed) unless you want him to be otherwise, for he is also willing to do whatever you ask of him. His passion is kept dormant deep within a volcano and when you make love to each other, his passion for you will erupt violently and will flow out in vast amounts, lasting for a long time. He will also never cheat on you. Stick with this man—marry him even, for he also makes a great father for your children. He is no angel—he has faults just like everyone else, but until we can find a man with wings and a halo, he'll do just fine._

"Is Jack a virgo?" A voice questioned. Nami's body went into flight mode and jerked in shock. She snapped her head to face the intruder.

"Were you reading along the whole time?" She inquired back.

"Yep. I always knew Virgos had potential. So, is Jack a virgo?" Karen rallied her first question back.

"I don't know." Nami tried to feign ignorance. Karen eyed her.

"Liar. There is not one woman on this Earth who doesn't know about astrology." Karen scolded. Nami shrugged.

"Then I guess I'm not from this Earth." Nami added to her lie.

"Fine. Be that way. Just tell me his birthday." Karen retorted.

"September nineteen." Nami replied already knowing what he was.

"Virgo." Karen confirmed.

"Cool." Nami replied monotonously. Karen thought it was rather funny seeing Nami trying to play it off as nothing and giggled. This earned Karen a look of questioning from Nami.

"I think it's cute seeing you trying to learn more about Jack since he's your boyfriend an all. But, really you should just ask him. It'll bring the two of you much closer." Karen winked. Karen's happy mood quickly turned into one of worry when she saw Nami's shocked expression.

"He—he's not my boyfriend." Nami murmured. Now it was Karen's turn to be shocked.

"Oh. I'm sorry. I just assumed—"

"Where'd you get the idea that he was my boyfriend?" Nami asked quietly. Karen guessed it was from shock.

"I don't know. The first time I looked at you guys standing outside the entrance, it just looked like there was something going on between the two of you. I guess now it was just tension. Maybe you guys secretly like each other or something. But whatever, it isn't any of my business." Karen rambled.

"I don't like him." Nami muttered darkly.

"Ok. You don't." Karen knew that wasn't the case. She sees right through Nami's denial. The question is why is Nami denying it?

"Why don't you like him?" Karen wanted to know. Jack seemed like too much of a good guy to be tossed aside like trash. She must have a reason.

"He's stupid, that's why." Karen felt a weird mix of wanting to laugh and to smack some sense into her while doing so. It was plainly obvious now that Nami liked him. "He's stupid" is a rather weak explanation for loathing someone.

"Right. And I'm retard—" The girls were interrupted when they heard the chiming of the door as it opened. Nami recognized the person immediately and went into hiding beside the magazine shelf. Karen watched her with amusement.

"Hello Jack." Karen greeted kindly. All it took was a glance at the bundle in his arms and in an instant she was in front of him fawning over the pup. She giggled at the puppy's attempts to get a lick at her hand.

"His name is Mage." Jack introduced.

"Hello Mage." She cooed and shook his paw. Mage yawned and stretched in response.

"Do you happen to have anything for dogs?" He asked her.

"Yes actually, we do. You'll find everything you need over by the magazine isle." Karen pointed out. Karen felt a twinge of excitement pulse throughout her body. She was going to have fun watching this. Karen hid her laugh behind a hand as she watched Nami crawl her way to the frozen food isle.

"Which is better, Purina or Pedigree?" Karen heard Jack ask, although she almost missed it. His voice was rather soft, almost soothing—not great for talking across distances.

"Actually, they're both pretty crappy. Most grocery store dog food formulas, like Pedigree, Science Diet, Purina, and such contain meat and bone meal which has been known to contain dead dogs and cats that were euthanized in animal shelters." Karen informed him.

"Whoa. Then why do you sell it?" Karen heard him say.

"I don't know. I don't control what comes in. I just sell it." Karen laughed.

"I think I'll just cook his food for him then." Karen didn't miss the disgust in his voice.

"That's the way to go. But, avoid feeding him chocolate, macadamia nuts, onions, garlic, grapes or raisins, and any grains. Grains aren't a natural part of a dog's diet so if you want to feed him carbohydrates, go for potatoes. The others I mentioned are all harmful to him." Karen continued to inform. Karen stopped and thought about what else Mage would need.

"While you're over there get him some dog shampoo and some Frontline flea repellent." Karen yelled over at him.

"Ok." She heard him say. Karen stood at the cash register in boredom until she spotted Mage running clumsily over to her. She crouched and happily welcomed him into her arms. She received a series of licks in return. Then she got an idea. She cuddled him and then sent him off in Nami's direction. She watched anxiously as Mage stopped at the corner and looked around. She smiled when she saw him dash in the direction she last saw Nami at.

"Mage?" Karen heard Jack say.

"I saw him run to the frozen food isle." Karen told him. Her smile widened as Nami was seen crawling for her life with an expression of pure horror, with Mage following suit having failed numerous times to greet her properly. Nami looked like she was on the verge of tears. Finally, she stopped and allowed him to lick her in desperation. She then ushered him away.

"There you are." Jack said. Karen giggled. Oh. Nami was good. But, she'll get caught someday. She can't hide from him forever.

"Why are you laughing?" Jack inquired. Jack couldn't help it. Every time somebody nearby laughed, he always thought it was directed at him. He's not blind—he was able to see the groups of girls walk by and giggle together after glancing at him. It's why he stayed away from everyone and hung around in secluded areas by himself. He didn't want to hear them—didn't want to feel the pain.

"Nothing. Nothing. I just thought of something funny is all." Karen covered. May it be a curse or a gift, but with eyes like a hawk he saw the sudden change in her mood. It was very tiny—anyone could've easily missed it.

"Something wrong?" He asked. Whatever it was, it was gone. She hid it well.

"N-no. I'm quite fine." Karen assured. It shocked her that he was able to see right through her. She really wasn't fine though. All the drama yesterday took a toll on her. She was worried about Popuri, Lilia, and Rick—all of them. Popuri hadn't taken the news of Lilia's illness well—which was expected. But, it was even worse with Rick. He had overheard everything and learned about his deceased father and now ill mother. He had completely shut himself off from everyone—even her. They were best friends and it was only recently she discovered that her feelings for him went passed friendship and it hurt her.

Jack said nothing. He didn't want to pry into her life. It could bring out emotions from the woman he didn't think he could handle. The fact that he didn't know her very well either would make it even harder for him. But he couldn't help but wonder anyway.

* * *

Nami sat on the floor leaning against the shelf and released an enormous breath of relief. He was so close to spotting her. Damn that puppy. Damn that cute, little puppy. She waited quietly for Jack to leave and tried to return her heartbeat to normal.

"Good game." Karen said as Nami rose.

"Shitty game." Nami replied and stuck her tongue out at her.

"And stop smiling." Nami bit. It was Karen's turn to stick her tongue out.

"Come on. Let's go educate ourselves some more about Virgos. They seem really interesting to know about right now." Karen pulled on Nami's hand. She avoided saying Jack on purpose, for she knew Nami would be very touchy if she would mention him and downright refuse out of stubbornness. But, she was going to help her. It was cute yet kind of sad seeing her hide from him. And, Virgos really did seem interesting at the moment. Why are these men so attractive?

* * *

AN: I had to do some serious self analyzing and research to type up that discription about virgos. I was like "Damn. We make dope husbands." And I wonder. Could I live up to that? Astrology is scary in that most of what they say about my sign is true. However, some people actually aren't like what their sign makes them out to be. This in turn, is why people say astrology is a load of crap. Yet, we find ourselves reading it like a drug--atleast I do. Astrology remains as an enigma to me.


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer – I hold no rights to Harvest Moon.**

* * *

As Plain as Brown

"Where'd you learn to cook?" Ruby asked while stroking Mage. Mage looked like he was really enjoying the attention from the relaxed look he was currently giving off. Jack guessed it was also because he was full. He found that he enjoyed cooking for him—watching the food as it disappeared. The party was bustling. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves and the food—everyone except Jack. He was having fun yes, but he couldn't shake off the feeling of being watched—by a lot of people. Everyone in the valley attended. A lot of them he didn't know. He had met eyes with a black haired man around the same age as himself who glared at him. Clearly the look spoke, "I don't like you." Jack felt really inferior at the moment.

"Experimenting—and the food channel. That channel was what made me fall in love with food." Jack replied, scratching the back of his neck. Ruby laughed joyously.

"That's nice. If only Rock could cook." Ruby said dejectedly.

"Have you tried teaching him?" Jack asked her.

"Many times. But it seems he doesn't have much of an attention span when it comes to cooking. I'm sure he doesn't have Attention Deficit Disorder. He's a real good listener actually. I guess he just doesn't want to cook. I should get cable and request to show only the food channel huh." Ruby answered. It was Jack's turn to laugh.

"Some people just aren't meant to cook." Jack said understandingly. His own mother couldn't cook either. But he guessed it didn't matter. They had a chef cook everything. He can't even remember if there was a time she cooked anything at all. Maybe he should've gotten her to watch the food channel.

"Hey Jack! Hi Ruby! Great party!" It was Karen.

"Oh hey. I didn't know you'd be here." Jack waved in surprise. Jack noticed there was another woman with long dark brown hair standing beside her, looking uncomfortable and blushing profusely. The brunette was modestly dressed—she wore a just a forest green jacket and a long black skirt all covered over by a plaid yellow apron. The outfit hid every part of her body, yet it didn't hide her beautiful face. He swore he was blushing even though he couldn't see himself.

"This woman right here—my best friend Celia, invited me." Karen said gleefully. Karen nudged her and the poor girl gasped. He wasn't sure if it was from shock or pain.

"H-hello…" She managed.

"Nice to meet you, Celia." Jack gave a small smile. The girl reddened some more.

"Come on Celia. You're looking very thin. Let's put some fat in you." Karen dragged her. He watched as they walked away and Ruby laughed. Again, he met with the eyes of the black haired stranger sitting across the floor. This time, he could almost imagine a dark aura surrounding him. Now, Jack felt like hiding.

"Be right back. I'm going to check something." Ruby laid Mage on Jack's lap and stood up. But before walking away, she pulled the hat off of his head and gave it to him.

"Take this off. You're under a roof." Ruby scolded in a motherly tone. Jack felt exposed without the hat. His hair bothered him. He wanted to put the cap back on, but his respect for Ruby made him set it on the side table sitting next to the couch he was on. He took a drink from his cup of water.

"Look at you! Already attracting all the girls. No wonder Marlin looks pissed. You're such a player." Muffy spoke taking a seat next to him on the sofa. Some water went into Jack's lungs as he drank and he found himself coughing.

"What?" He managed. Now his throat itched. He hoped it wouldn't turn into a sore throat.

"All the girls keep looking at you. I can't seem to stop either." Muffy giggled. He always felt weird when he recieved comments. He tried to feel great, but couldn't. He always felt he didn't deserve them, or embarrassed, or the need to run away.

"You really think they like me?" He asked with uncertainty. He surveyed the room to see if what she said was true. Sure enough, he found that they were sneaking looks at him—especially by one woman with short light brown hair. She was downright staring straight at him. He lowered his posture on the couch in an attempt to hide from their eyes.

"Aw. Don't be so shy. Sit up straight so they can get a good view of you." Muffy directed as she petted Mage. Jack only lowered himself more. These compliments—they were just too much. He couldn't take it anymore.

"I got to go." Jack tried to sound urgent and forgetting the fact that he was ditching his friend.

"I'm sorry." Muffy said apologetically. This was new—to Muffy. It was odd having to apologize to a man for complimenting him—she really did mean it. But strangely, she didn't think she hated his reaction. She found it was actually quite enticing. She was becoming more and more attracted to him—and this was only her second time meeting him. She tried not to like him—she really did. But, seeing him again—she just couldn't do it. He was different from the other men—men in the city. She had met and dated a fair share of nice men. But, she felt a sort of innocence radiating off of Jack—to a point where he looked almost vulnerable. She liked it. And, she liked him. She was sure she was only setting herself up for heartbreak. But maybe—maybe it would change—for the better. She didn't know what would happen, but she did have faith—faith in that everything will be fine. It always worked out ok in the end for her. And she hoped it would keep on working.

"It's ok. I just need some fresh air." Jack said forgivingly. But, before he even made it to the door, Ruby came busting back in.

"Everyone! Hide!" Ruby shouted. Everyone became silent. It was clear from the looks on their faces that they didn't know what was going on.

"Just Do It!" Ruby commanded. Everyone scrambled and struggled to find a hiding place. Ruby ran about the Inn closing shut the blinds. Jack was just as lost as everyone else. But he did as they were told and hid beside the arm of the couch he was previously at. Everyone seemed afraid—like something bad was about to happen.

"Now, when Nami enters and turns on the lights, I want you all to jump up and yell out Welcome Back to Nami. Got it?" Everyone relaxed and nodded as Ruby turned off the lights. Nami was coming back? Jack couldn't help but feel a little glad—but he also couldn't stop the feeling of sadness that overcame him. He wasn't even sure if they were friends—or if she even wanted to look at him. Many people were asking each other if they knew who she was. He'd concluded that she was a newcomer like him.

"Oh. So that's what this party is for…" Jack heard the whisper of Karen.

"Who's Nami?" Celia whispered back.

"I met her at the store. She's one of the few women who look pretty with no make up and short guy-ish hair. I wonder how she'd look with longer hair. I mean, can you imagine me with a guy's haircut?" Karen answered. Celia giggled but then was abruptly silent. Jack guessed Karen did something to her. His thoughts wondered the same and he began to feel a little hot. What was he thinking? He didn't even know her long enough. Or was it—for the first time in his life—was he crushing on someone? He tried hard to get rid of the weird sensation in his cheeks—like it was trying to force him to smile.

"Shh!" Ruby commanded. Everyone stayed quiet. Jack could only watch in silence as Nami entered the inn. The door slowly creaked open.

"Hello? Ruby?" Nami asked somewhat afraid of the dark. And, she felt she wasn't alone—like eyes were watching her every move. She was really freaked out. Normally, one's voice would echo in a big empty room. But she didn't hear any—and it felt hotter than usual. Cautiously she flicked on the lights. And—well to put it simply, she wasn't expecting this. Jack found he couldn't bring himself up like the rest of them did—he didn't want to. He didn't want to show himself to her in fear of seeing the hatred in her eyes.

"Welcome back Nami!" Everyone shouted. Jack had to smile at her reaction as he knelt in his hiding place. She was taken completely off guard and was on the floor, back straight up against the wall panting like she had just ran ten miles, looking like she was about to die. He watched from his hiding place as Ruby helped her up.

"I just knew you'd come back." Ruby hugged her as she laughed. The rest of them joined in the laughter. This sprouted questions in Nami's head. Nami was still in shock. She expecting only Ruby to welcome her back—not everyone in the valley.

"You knew?" Nami asked suspiciously.

"Just a feeling in my gut." Ruby answered.

"Oh." Nami said in relief. She thought Ruby planned the whole thing with the ferry driver not allowing her on. But she criticized herself for thinking that.

"Alright! Thank you everyone for participating in this surprise party. Please enjoy yourselves and help yourself to some more food." Ruby said grateful for everyone's cooperation. Everyone began to talk. Nami was pretty sure most of them were talking about her—or at least wondering about her. They never saw her before, and neither had she seen them. To her delight, she spotted a big dish of gratin sitting in the midst of all the other foods. Her mouth watered.

"Come with me to your room. I need to talk to you." She pulled Nami upstairs much to her disappointment. She stared longingly back at the dish, fearing it'd disappear when she was gone. As soon as the door to her room closed behind Nami, Ruby flashed the piece of paper in front of her face.

"What's this?" Ruby interrogated.

"How'd you get that?" Nami wondered aloud.

"The wind blew it by. Is this what you left Jack? I thought you were going to talk to him."

"I—I couldn't."

"Why?"

"I couldn't face him." Nami's heart raced. She really couldn't face him. She feared that seeing him would—she didn't know. But she didn't want to find out.

"Because…" Ruby motioned for her to continue.

"B-because…um." Nami stuttered. Her heart pounded and her eyes strayed away from Ruby's lie detecting eyes.

"You know what this says to him? This says, "I'm sorry but this won't work out between us. Goodbye." You know that these two words you wrote can be taken differently. You could've at least written more." Ruby scolded. Nami closed her eyes and released a heavy sigh. That was absolutely what she meant to say. She plopped herself on the bed looking miserable—still avoiding Ruby's gaze.

"I'm still waiting for an answer." Ruby reminded. This was it. She was going to have to tell her. Ruby would know if she told a lie so there was no escaping. Tears began forming in her eyes. It was no use fighting it anymore.

"You were right…I like him." The tears fell along with her words.

"I thought I could forget him if I shut him out of my life. But I kept thinking about him. Somehow he'd keep popping up in my head. It's just not fair you know. Why now?" She pulled her legs to her knees and hid her face in them as her sadness poured out. Feeling her motherly instincts kick in, Ruby took a seat on the bed and pulled her into a hug.

"I don't know what to do…" Nami said as she cried. Ruby began rubbing Nami's back trying to sooth her.

"First, you need to stop crying. You're making me feel bad for talking to you the way I had." Nami pulled away and gave a short laugh.

"I'll try." Nami said whipping the wetness from her eyes with the back of her hand.

"And, you're going to have to talk to him—face to face this time. Fix things up with him. Trust me. You'll feel a lot better." Nami looked unsure and afraid.

"Come on." Ruby tugged on her. As they descended down the stairs, Nami spotted Jack holding a conversation with whom she recognized as the blond bartender. As they neared him, she felt extremely shy all of the sudden. She stopped and tried to pull away from Ruby's grasp.

"Come on now. You have to do this." Ruby told her. Nami made a sound that sounded close to a whimper.

* * *

Lumina did not know how long she had been staring at him. She didn't have a stop watch to find out and neither had she looked at the clock for a starting time. She felt her heart leap when his eyes had met with hers. This new feeling—was it love at first sight? It had to be.

"Sebastian." Lumina called.

"Yes Lumina?" Sebastian questioned waiting for her request.

"Do you know anything about that man sitting at the couch over there—talking to the woman with rosy, red hair?" She pointed.

"I'm sorry miss Lumina, but I don't know anything about him other than that he moved in at the abandoned farm I think three days ago." He informed.

"Oh." Lumina said disappointedly. She was hoping for a name and—everything about him. She laughed inwardly at the thought of Sebastian knowing all about the man.

"Grandmother?" Lumina transferred her question.

"Jack Harvest. The mayor mentioned him to me when he came by for a visit two days ago. Very handsome isn't he?" Lumina did not disagree. The man was handsome as sin. And she wanted to get to know him.

"You should marry him." Romana suggested. Lumina leaped for joy—in her head of course. Even Romana wanted her to wed with him.

"You really think so?" The joy wasn't absent in her voice.

"He looks like he would make a good husband for you." Romana added. Lumina thought so too. However, her happiness was cut short when she returned her gaze to the handsome man who was—kissing the rosy, red head?

"It seems Lumina, that you have a rival." Romana noted.

"I think you are mistaken grandmother. I do not have a rival. I, have rivals—three of them to be exact." Lumina corrected. She wasn't surprised when she noticed that two other women were looking at him too. And seeing him kissing another one planted some doubt in her. But, she took it merely as a competition. And that's what it was—a contest to see who could win his heart—a contest she was confident she would win.

"Well, you best get yourself started soon." Romana insinuated. Romana was old and she knew it. She didn't want her only granddaughter to be alone, for she knew she and Sebastian wouldn't be around long enough. Despite always being strict on the young woman, Romana cared deeply for her. Lumina needed a husband—someone to be by her side and keep her company when she and Sebastian were to leave this world. And Jack seemed like the perfect man for her.

* * *

AN: They kissed! But how? And, Lumina has finally reappeared! I bet you were wondering when she'd show herself up again. Now you'll have to wait for Celia to reappear.


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer – I hold no rights to Harvest Moon.**

**As Plain as Brown**

Accident: Any event that happens unexpectedly, without a deliberate plan or cause. Is that what it was—an accident? I think not. I wasn't expecting it at all. But, someone did plan it. Pushing someone while trying to walk through an extremely crowded hallway is an accident. Pushing someone with your own two hands on purpose is not. And I had definitely felt a pair of hands forcefully push on my back. Therefore, it was no accident. But, I don't know what I'm exactly feeling at the moment. My mind isn't too clear right now.

"You saw who pushed me?" Nami asked Ruby as she picked up a stray paper plate on the chair and threw it in the trash. Ruby shook her head and busied herself with whipping the table.

"I saw everything. Mom was the one who pushed you." Rock grinned. Ruby looked at Rock. To anyone, it would appear to be just any old plain look. To Rock, it was something totally different—a bad different.

"Rock honey, could you please wash the dishes?" Ruby requested. Rock released a breath of relief. He was sure he was going to get it—whatever _it_ was.

"Sure thing mumzy." Rock said gladly and hopped off the couch. Ruby smiled. Rock opened the door to the kitchen and was greeted by a large stack of dishes and kitchenware in the sink waiting to be washed. He frowned. He'd forgotten that there were many food dishes served. He should've known.

"_Why_ did you push me?" Nami glared at Ruby.

"You deserved it."

"What do you _mean_ I deserved it?" Nami barked. Ruby shrugged.

"I just felt like giving you a head start is all. Besides. You looked like you enjoyed it well enough." Ruby remarked smugly. Nami leered at her for a moment before looking away.

"Ah, see? You're blushing." Observed teasingly. Nami took a seat on the nearby couch, elbows on her knees, and hid her face in her hands.

"That was so embarrassing." Nami whined, her voice muffled by her hands.

"I don't think _everyone_ saw it…I think." Ruby said unsure.

"You _think_?" Nami laid herself on the couch in fetal position. She looked back at the kiss and remembered the look on his face after she pulled away. He stared at her with an expression she couldn't place. It looked almost blank. But there was evidence of blushing—probably from embarrassment. Whatever was fixed between them was now ruined.

"Ugh. How can I face him now?" Nami asked aloud.

"Well, here is your excuse." Nami felt something land her belly. Her hands broke away from her face and she saw a hat—Jack's hat.

"He left it." Ruby told her. Nami raised an eyebrow at her.

"Just talk to him. I'm sure everything will be fine." Ruby reassured her.

"You sure? You better be right." Nami said to her.

"You want me to come with you for moral support?" Ruby asked.

"_No._ You'll just push me again." Nami said flatly. Ruby laughed.

"I probably would." Ruby agreed.

"You know, it's still only six. Why don't you go over to him now?" Ruby suggested.

"Nah." Nami replied.

"Come on. You like him. Go and get to know him."

"No."

"Go."

"N-O. No!" Nami spelled it out for her. Ruby crossed her arms and stared deeply at her.

* * *

Nami knocked three times on Jack's door. She thought, why not? It couldn't hurt right? After all, it's better to go and have a harmless little talk with Jack and return his hat to him than to be kicked out of the inn. The door opened and Jack's head poked out. Immediately, an air of awkwardness loomed in between them.

"I came to give you your hat back. You left it at the inn." She watched his eyes widen in realization as he patted and rubbed his hatless head. He quickly grabbed the cap from her hands and put it on. She felt just a tad bit of disappointment to see him put it on—just a tiny bit. But, she was even more disappointed in herself for being disappointed in the first place. Is this what she should be doing—harboring feelings of attraction for a man she did not know too much about like a giddy schoolgirl? She couldn't even remember most of what he said the other day other than he loathed the color brown and he wanted to get married someday—and that embarrassed face he made…god. Why couldn't the ferry driver just let her on?

"Thanks." He said sheepishly. He looked down as Mage came trotting over to Nami and sniffed her leg. He then lied down belly up, looking at her expectantly. She smiled and took his invitation to rub his belly.

"It's like he already knows you." Jack noted.

"Uh yea…or he's just really friendly." Nami shrugged, afraid he knew. Maybe he did catch her in the market but just didn't say anything. Despite wanting to know if he did see her, she did not want to find at the same time.

"You're probably right." It was quiet as she knelt and rubbed Mage's belly. The silence became rather uncomfortable and she decided to speak out what was on her mind—and probably his.

"Umm…about that kiss." She stood up. She could feel tension beginning inside of her.

"It was an accident." It wasn't really an accident. Ruby planned it. But he didn't need to know that.

"It's ok. I knew it was. People don't usually fall onto a person on a couch like that." Jack rubbed his neck and weakly laughed. Nami gazed at him in appreciation. She felt relief flow through every vein and artery in her body. In fact, she was so relieved that she let slip the next thing that came out of her mouth like a knife slicing through room temperature butter.

"Well, the next time we kiss, I'm sure it'll be better." Jack looked at her in alarm. The shade of pink reappeared on his cheeks and he looked down in embarrassment.

"Oh…um…I mean…you know, when we kiss someone else." She could not believe those words came out of her mouth. She felt like killing herself right now.

"I…I know what you mean." He said still keeping his gaze down.

"Yea…well, I got to go. I'll see you tomorrow." Nami waved a goodbye and quickly left. On her journey back to the inn, she literally pinched herself so much until she couldn't take it anymore. She still could not believe she said that. It was even more embarrassing than the kiss!

"How'd it go?" Ruby asked when she entered through the door. Nami shook her head telling her she didn't want to talk and went upstairs to her room. She collapsed on the bed face first onto the pillow and screamed into it.

* * *

_Dear Journal/The current holder of some of my life's recordings composition book thing I found in the basement some time ago,_

_I was really worried for Nami. It seemed that she was always bothered by a lot of things. I can guess it was all coming from one person—to put it more specifically, a guy. And, if we zoomed in more closely with a microscope, it'd be Jack. Though, I can understand why she's troubled. She has this big dream of seeing all the wonders of the world. A man could only get in the way in such a big dream like that. Oh I wish she would be able to fulfill it. However, I must admit that I'm very selfish when I say this. I don't want her to go. I really don't. She isn't of my blood, but she might as well have been. A cliché it may be, but she really is a daughter I never had, though only about a month have passed. Call me, "the mother who wouldn't let go" if you will. I don't mind. I really don't—because I don't want to let go. I've already lost my dear husband whom I miss terribly. And, I'm not at all willing to lose anyone else. Anyway, things are just fine. Jack and Nami seem to actually be getting along with each other. Jack reminds me in many ways of Jas. Their names are kind of similar even. Why'd you have to get those flowers Jas? No. I shouldn't be asking that. It's just that I miss you so much. If only you could be here right now to see how wonderful a son we have._

_-Ruby_

* * *

Jack woke up feeling content. It was unusual since he usually woke up feeling a bit forlorn. But, for once he was actually feeling good. He got dressed and after fixing breakfast for Mage and himself, he headed outside and began watering the turnips he planted—though the area it covered was rather undersized—no bigger than a home garden. He was a beginner and he thought it was a good idea to start small and see if he can actually grow something first. So far, it looks like he'd do fine. After he'd harvest the turnips, he'd plant seeds on a larger area of dirt. It was after he finished that he looked up and spotted Celia leaning on the fence silently watching him. Had she been watching him the whole time? Nevertheless, he felt like hiding. Shoving the need for cover aside, he gathered enough courage to try a wave. But, quicker than he could raise a hand, she went off running. It didn't make him feel any better—it only made him feel worse. Watching her run away before he could even wave was rather disheartening.

Now that he had nothing to do, he decided to play around with the old rusting watering can he had on hand. Filling it up with water using the faucet on the side of the house, he then realized that he was in dire need of a hose. A watering can was fine for now considering he had only started on a small area, but he wasn't going to use a watering can to water the whole farm forever. It just wouldn't work. The farm was huge and the watering can wasn't. Maybe after he got a hose—and with enough money, he would install farming sprinklers.

He brought his gaze to the old rusted can gripped firmly in his hand. What if it was magical? He could water the whole field with one swing. He chuckled. With his imagination switched on, he swung the watering can firmly gripped in his two hands like a baseball bat. Nothing happened. Then he thought of something. With the watering can almost empty from having poured over imaginary greenery, he went and got it refilled. Placing himself in the middle of the dirt field, he grasped the can with his two hands again and pulled back into position as if charging up his aura (some influence from action and fighting cartoons had landed on him). Having gathered enough power, he released his energy in a wild whirl. Unsurprisingly, the watering can didn't have a very large watering radius—even when spinning.

"What are you doing?" Nami spoke up. It was as if Jack had been struck by lightning, but it wasn't as bad as the embarrassment he felt right then. He released his hold on the watering can, which went flying off across the barren field of dirt and landed with a loud thud. But, he was relieved it hadn't headed towards her.

"Umm…nothing…just bored." Jack replied gripping his head, eyes shut tightly, waiting for the dizziness to pass.

"Well, you certainly are unique." If Jack weren't still dizzy, he'd raise an eyebrow at her.

"Huh?"

"Hehehehe." Her laugh must have healing properties or something. Despite his head still spinning, he felt a bit better. He groaned.

"I have a headache."

"Isn't that what you usually get when you spin around so much? Anyway, you know what just about every guy does when he's bored don't you?" Jack blushed. Yes, he did know. He'd done it only almost everyday before he got here.

"Heh. It looks like even you do it."

"And you know this how?" He inquired.

"Women are no exception. So, the same thing can be said for us." Jack exhaled a breath of relief, glad that the dizziness was subsiding.

"What'd you come for?" He asked.

"I found an old ball I thought Mage would like. Where is he anyway?"

"He's…right behind you." He pointed out. Just as he said, Mage was sitting patiently behind staring expectantly up at her. His tail started wagging once his eyes made contact with the ball. Nami gave him a few pats on the head and then tossed the ball a ways behind him. Jack watched Mage pick the ball up.

"Mage! Over here boy!" Mage stared at him for a moment before backing up and dashing out of the property.

"Don't be stingy now…" Jack muttered.

"Come on lets get him. I'm pretty sure he just wants to play." Nami motioned for him to follow. Jack did as he was told and tried to catch up to her speed.

"Uh oh…he's running towards the mansion." Jack mentioned worriedly.

"Why are you so worried? Besides, once he gets in there, he has nowhere else to run. Come on. Let's hurry." Nami panted.

"Well, there is also her." Jack corrected once they arrived at the mansion. A woman was holding Mage. He'd seen her face before—at the party—the one who was staring at him.

"Excuse me, ma'am. Umm…" He approached the light brown haired woman.

"Oh, is he yours?" The woman asked him. Jack nodded. She released him and he trotted over to Jack, ball still gripped tightly in his mouth.

"He's a sweetie. Oh, forgive me for my bad manners; I'm Lumina Tristesse." She shook his hand.

"I'm—"

"Jack Harvest correct?" She interrupted. He nodded dumbly, surprised and somewhat freaked out she knew his name without ever confronting him.

"My grandmother told me about you." She told him. Though it did little to relieve him. Then how'd her grandmother know about him?

"And your name is?" She looked over to Nami.

"Nami McKay." Lumina just smiled.

"Nice to meet you. Would you guys like to come in?" Nami looked at Jack. The look on his face told her he didn't really want to. And frankly, she didn't want to either.

"Sure." This surprised Nami. She was so sure he'd refuse. Lumina's home was far from humble as would anyone would've guessed looking from the outside. Red carpet aligned every hallway they walked on, paintings by famous artists had a space on every wall, a different statue or valuable vase occupied every corner, and not a window in the whole mansion lacked gold embroidered drapery. Nami felt really outclassed. She snuck a glance over at Jack and wondered why he was unfazed by it all.

"You're not amazed by all this?" She whispered to him as they lagged behind Lumina, who was giving them a tour.

"What? Oh. Yea…I'm amazed." He whispered back in reply shifting Mage in arms to get a more comfortable hold. Nami examined him with a pointed look. He was lying. And right then, she grew suspicious.

"And this is the dining room." Lumina showed them. Nami gazed with wide eyes around the large and spacious room.

"How many people live here?" Nami asked her.

"Three."

"Why in the world do you need a table that seats fifty people?"

"Oh, you're just exaggerating things. It only seats twenty people. My parents used to have a lot of visitors around for dinner."

"Oh." Nami managed to nod.

"I don't want to remove it. I do imagine at times that'd I'd have a big family that would fill those seats up one day." Lumina stared at Jack as she said this. He felt himself shrink.

"Do you really plan on having fifteen children?" Lumina nodded.

"Why not? I have money. I could even go for more than fifteen." She replied still keeping her eyes on Jack. He found her gaze and quickly looked away wondering how a woman could stare so shamelessly.

"Ok well, this is where I live." Lumina said as they stood at the exit.

"Thank you for giving us a tour of your mansion." Jack said. This seemed to make Lumina happy.

"Glad you like it." Limina chimed.

* * *

"You're rich aren't you?" Nami accused him. Jack shook his head.

"What makes you think that?"

"Well, for one thing. You weren't at all amazed. So, I can't help but think you must have some fortune hidden somewhere." Nami said. Jack stayed silent. Nami thought she hit the spot until he spoke.

"Did you ever stop to think that maybe I just don't like huge houses? They're such a waste of space." Jack replied.

"She did say she wanted a _big_ family. And, she was so looking at you while she said it too. She wants you Jack. She _wants _to propagate with you." She teased.

"Shut up. No she doesn't." He muttered. Nami snickered. Though it wasn't obvious to him, it was to her. Lumina was interested in him. And Lumina wanted more than fifteen children from him. She was hit by a stroke of sadness. Accompanied along with it, was irritation. She's criticized herself. She should be happy. He could go be with Lumina and she wouldn't have to think about him anymore. But imagining Jack with Lumina—with a mansion full of kids didn't help at all. It only further increased her sadness.

"What's the matter? You seem sad all of the sudden.

"Just wondering when I'd leave this place."

"You wanted to see the world right?" Nami nodded.

"Why wouldn't the ferry captain let you on again?" He asked.

"He said I was uncertain about leaving."

"Uncertain? So you really you really didn't want to leave then?"

"I guess I kind of didn't. Ruby kind of made it difficult to." She laughed.

"So, when do you think you want to leave?" Nami shrugged.

"Maybe at the end of December."

"Then I should get you something really nice before you leave."

"Say…" Nami looked at him.

"I want to go do some mining. Want to join me? I think I have another hammer and pick axe hiding somewhere." Nami nodded.

"Sure. Why not?" Jack smiled. Nami hated that she felt a little flutter in her heart. Jack set Mage down on the ground. Mage kept shuffling around in his arms and Jack though he probably wanted to walk.

"I'll race you back to the farm." Jack suggested coyly.

"You know you already loss."

"You sure about that Ms. McKay?"

"Yep."

"Ok then. Go." She ran a step and noticed something.

"Wait. We're already here." Jack nodded and gave a small smirk. Again, she felt the flutter in her heart.

"Yea. And I stepped onto my property before you did."

"You cheater…"

When it comes down to attracting someone, there two kinds of seduction. First, there is the more open kind of seduction. This is the kind of seduction where flirting, wearing lingerie and perfume or cologne fit in—basically any kind of enticement that would or could excite a person into sexual arousal. However, the chances of seeing a Virgo man flirt are slim to none—they aren't very romantic in that area. But, then there is the more subtle seduction. This is the kind of seduction where people do nice things to make their significant other happy. This is the kind where only a simple and innocent smile would make you feel weak in the knees. This is the kind of seduction that Virgo men will use—and they don't even know it. This is the kind of seduction that makes people fall in love.

Nami shook her head clear. She should really stop reading those stupid astrology magazines with Karen. Other signs sound just as good as good or even better than Virgos. But, being around Jack made every word about Virgo—even their flaws, much more appealing. She felt a strong mix of irritation, sadness, and loss. She didn't think she'd be able to leave by the time December ended. In fact, she didn't think she'd be able to leave at all if she kept this up. Maybe she should keep her distance from him. Maybe then her feelings would diminish. Whatever it was she needed to do to erase these feelings she had for him, she'd do it. She was getting desperate.

* * *

_Shippostail: I finally finished. After three weeks. Man. School sucks right now._


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer – I own: This story's plot and any character unrecognized from the Harvest Moon franchise. I do not own: Harvest Moon or any of its characters.**

* * *

As Plain as Brown

She watched the leaves of the trees glow a bright scarlet under the light of dawn that radiated across the horizon. The dew-riddled blades of grass twinkled like iridescent sequins. The birds in their nests sang their song to greet the forever-bright smiling sun. Despite the strong gloomy feeling in her heart, she couldn't help but smile as the shining rays hit her face, partially obscuring her vision.

Sighing to herself, she moved away from the window and headed downstairs toward the kitchen to make breakfast. Once downstairs, she scanned the contents of the fridge. All she found were eggs—lots of them. It made sense. After all, they do run a chicken farm. But she didn't want eggs. She wanted cereal. She grabbed a chair from the table, brought it to the cupboard, and stood upon it. She reached up over her head and snatched the box of artificially flavored strawberry cereal. In doing so, she knocked over a set of knives that occupied the space beside the cereal. Popuri yelped and jumped off the chair, the knives so close to making contact with her. Pulling herself together, she picked up the knives on the floor and set them somewhere at a more convenient place on the counter. A spark of anger erupted inside her. It was her stupid brother's idea to put the knives there. He didn't want her using the knives so she wouldn't hurt herself, but she almost did anyway. She wasn't even using them either. She sat back at the table and served herself some cereal.

Rick walked in through the door with a forlorn look stapled to his face. The strawberry-blonde haired young woman threw a questioning look at her brother as she munched on her cereal.

"Po's dead." Popuri's appetite suddenly vanished.

"I think she died late last night."

"Of?" She asked.

"Don't know. I just found her dead." First it was her father, and now, her chicken—both found dead.

"Look on the bright side. Kai arrived this morning." He said in mock happiness. That didn't make her feel any better—especially with that pathetic attitude of his.

"What're you going to do with her?" She demanded.

"I'm going to clean her up, chop her, cook her, and eat her." He replied simply.

"No!" She rushed out of her seat and tried to take the dead chicken away from his hands. She wasn't going to let him eat her. If anything, Po was to be buried. Not eaten.

"I was just joking." Rick shoved the dead weight onto his sister's hands. His laugh filled with bitterness. Popuri used the back of her hand to wipe whatever tears came. It was all she could do to try and show him—show him that his new personality didn't hurt her one bit. But the simple act of doing just that was proof enough that it did hurt. Deeply.

"You leave this house to go see Kai, don't ever come back again." Rick warned.

Popuri stood in the silent kitchen by the sink staring at the set of knives she'd place on the counter. Never in her life had they been so interesting.

* * *

"Blacksmith Saibara. Gray speaking."

"Hey…I need your help with something." Truth is he was in desperate need of some tutoring.

"What can I do for you Jack?"

"I need to make a pendant for someone." What better way than to get help from a blacksmith?

"Ah…alright…I'll help you free of charge...on one condition."

"What would that be?" Jack braced himself.

"You help me in return." That didn't sound bad. So he agreed. He would've agreed anyhow because he needed to get this done fast. He had only a day.

Metal forging wasn't as hard as Jack thought it'd be. Aside from the few burns he received on his hands and the pulsing pain on his purple-looking index finger, it was pretty fun. The hard part was engraving onto the metal and putting on the gemstones. He let Gray do that.

"Who's the lucky woman?" the blacksmith asked him.

"Ah." Jack hesitated to answer. He really didn't want to say.

"It's a birthday present." He replied and avoided the blacksmith's confronting eyes to look at the dangling pendant he held in front of him.

"That's a birthday present? Are you going to confess to her or something? Because it looks to me like you're in love with this woman." This statement scared the Jack.

"W-what? No. I just wanted to get her something nice." Jack's heart pounded in his chest. Love? Unbelievable. Yet at the same time, he couldn't help but think that there is a small possibility it could happen. He felt hot. Was he really…in love?

"Alright I'll leave you alone. Now, it's my turn to be helped. How do you know if a girl is cheating on you?" Jack felt relief once Gray changed the subject. But he felt a bit perplexed afterwards. Cheating? Well, nothing. He never had a girlfriend.

"I don't know. I never had a girlfriend." Gray was shocked.

"You're kidding me. Never? What have you been living under? A rock?" Jack looked deeply offended.

"Sorry. I just thought you'd know. You're a good-looking guy and all. I thought you'd have a lot of experience with girls." Jack felt a sense of confidence spike through him. But, immediately it went away and was replaced with denial. Good-looking? Yea right.

"Ever thought that she might just be…you know…busy?" The farmer asked.

"She's a librarian! What more can she do other than sort books?"

"Eh…write them? I'm sure she has written some. Have you read any of them?" Jack listened for an answer.

"Yea." Silence.

"What're you thinking?" Jack poked.

"Nothing." Jack noticed him pink up. And then he realized it.

"Oh. She writes erotica doesn't she." He said more as a conformation. The blacksmith's continued silence sealed his suspicions as correct.

"She doesn't tell anyone. I'm the only one who reads them…at least I think so. Sometimes I still can't believe that underneath that shy, sweet woman lays an incredibly romantic and sensual being. You know…many times I just…I just want to love her like how she describes it in her novels. But, I just can't touch her. She's too pure." Jack stared at him in awe. This was Gray? What happened to that silent and tough guy?

"You tell anyone this and I'll kick your ass." Oh. There he was.

"Ok. Secret is safe." Jack assured.

"Friends?" Jack held out his right hand.

"No. I just told you a huge secret. You have to be my best friend." At this they smiled and their hands joined and shook.

* * *

……………………………

"_Oh. Hey, there he is. Very cute. But you know, I've never seen him before. Does he really go to our school?"_

"…_I don't know."_

"_Hmm. He looks disturbed. I wonder what could be bothering him?"_

"…"

"_Anyway. He's my new hubby."_

……………………………

Nami sat at the couch in the first floor of the inn and thought about the dream she'd experienced the night before. She remembered her friend Joanne. Those were the good days. Joanne was always talking about boys—especially in high school. She'd go around pointing at whom she liked and called them her husband. She laughed at that. Joanne always was able to make her laugh. She'd try to get in contact with her, but she really didn't know where Joanne is now. After Joanne had moved, they were consistent in keeping touch with each other—at first. Then it slowly died down and they hadn't talked since. That was five years ago.

Normally she'd cast away trivial dreams. But this was not a dream. It was a memory…a memory that she felt was significant somehow.

It is always so odd when memories resurface in dreams—most of which came at random. Not only was this random, it was short, confusing, and it told her nothing. This ultimately resulted in frustration for her. Why couldn't she remember anything passed or before it?

"Happy Birthday!" Nami's head turned so fast she swore she heard a pop. Ruby and Rock stood before her, both their hands supporting a cake with twenty-four candles stuck on top.

"You guys! I told you I didn't want to celebrate it." She frowned. But it was quickly replaced with a smile. She somehow got the feeling they'd ignore her wish and would pull something like this off.

"Why would we want to let your twenty-fourth birthday go to waste?" With that said Ruby handed her a gift-wrapped box. Nami examined it and then looked up at her.

"Open it later." Ruby told her. The gift she received from Rock was well—a rock. But, it was really nice. It was a perfect oval-shaped rock—smooth and rounded all over.

"It's a lucky rock. It took me forever to find one." He added. Maybe she could use some luck. With it, she may be able to go places. She thanked them and gave each of them a hug. Only after they separated, she felt a cold chain embrace around her neck. Her breath caught in her throat once she looked at what hung at the bottom. There lay a round sapphire pendant that had a ruby molded into it near the bottom right.

"Happy birthday Nami." She turned around to face him. But she found she couldn't do anything but give him a quiet thank you.

"Where'd you get this?" She managed.

"I made it…some of it. I couldn't get the gemstones on and I didn't know how to engrave anything. Gray did that part." Nami flipped the pendant over and read the engraved words on the back.

_It's easier for me to see the blue in your eyes than the red in your hair._

_-Jack H._

"I hope it's not too cheesy." He sounded unsure and embarrassed.

"Cheesy is just fine." Jack didn't count on the next thing that happened. She hugged him.

"I love it." She said.

That night, she opened up Ruby's present just as she was told. And now, she wanted to choke Ruby. Ruby had gotten her a picture of Jack. Shirtless.

_I managed to take a picture of him changing out of a sweaty shirt while he wasn't looking. Thank god for no-flash cameras. I know you'd like this. Karen thought so too. Now you can really enjoy looking at him._

Setting the picture face down, she felt her face flare up. She picked it up and stared at again. Frustrated, she smashed it face down on the bed only to find herself quickly picking it up and straightening it out just so she can stare at it again. Realizing what was happening, sadness flooded her insides. She'd lost. It was simply no use fighting anymore.

"You win." She said to the picture.

"I'm in love with you…"

* * *

_Shippostail: I have nothing to say in my defense. I've had a busy 1st term, but that's no excuse. I've had some time here and there. Eh--life. Thats all I can say. But I can get back to concentrating on this story now. That's all that matters right?_


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer – I do not own Harvest Moon.**

As Plain as Brown

Lumina rustled through her closet looking for the perfect outfit. She'd been in there for over thirty minutes and she still hadn't found one. Her confidence had been dwindling over the past weeks—over a month. She'd gotten nowhere with him. She had invited him over for dinner three times and he'd refuse every time. Was she not pretty enough? She took a moment to think. Her hands tightened their grip on the dress she held, unable to come up with any logical explanation to why he wasn't hers yet. Deciding that she shouldn't spend any more time on clothes, she closed her eyes and randomly picked one out of the hangers. As soon as she opened her eyes, she felt like she wanted to throw it away, but stopped. She chose it. She wasn't go to toss it away. She chose Jack. And she definitely wasn't going to toss him away.

On her way down the stairs she spotted her grandmother slowly making her way into the dining room for breakfast. Romana noticed her presence.

"Lumina, would you care to join me for breakfast this morning? I need to have a word with you."

"I can't grandma. I'm going to visit Jack." The expression on Romana's face changed to that of surprise.

"How is your relationship with him coming along?"

"Ah." Lumina hesitated.

"Just…fine." She wasn't about to let her grandmother know that she was failing. No way. No how.

Superstitions…omen. Most of us like to say we don't believe in them. But the funny thing is, deep inside ourselves somewhere, we actually do believe them. It is easy to say we don't believe in a superstition when it involves bad luck. However, even if people don't say it, it is even easier for everyone to believe in a superstition when good luck is involved. I myself am one of them.

I left a silver coin under my pillow the night I slept on Valentines Day eve this year. My true love is supposed to propose to me by the end of the year. And I regret it…sort of. Because now, I'm desperately wishing it works.

Jack studied the lines on his right palm intently.

"How do they do it?"

"Who?" Nami lowered herself and sat next to him, her back against the trunk of the tree.

"Palm readers. How can they tell what'll happen?" Nami shrugged at his question. She knew enough and nothing about palm reading. She could read hands, but she didn't know how or why palm reading started all those centuries ago. But, what she really wanted to do right now, is read his hand.

"Let me see your hand." She took his right hand and looked at the lines. Her heart raced with anticipation. "What do you want to know?" The farmer shrugged.

"Anything you can see." Nami examined the area on his palm near the base of his little finger. There was exactly one light line that extended a little ways east. The line meant he'd get married. The branches that curved up meant it'd be a content marriage.

"You'll be married…happily." Her eyes traveled to the line beneath the marriage line. His heart line. It made a steep curve upward and ended between the middle and index finger.

"See anything else?" Nami shook her head lightly. "No." She lied. It is said that those with a curved heart line that ended between the middle and index finger…have a strong sexual desire. She shook her head to free the images in her mind.

"What're you daydreaming about?" The farmer asked. He noticed that she was in her own little world and wondered what she was thinking about. "Nothing."

"Come on. If it was nothing, you wouldn't have been blushing." He smiled and poked at her side. She felt a dull pain in her heart. His smile…it happened every time she looked at him. It was actually quite pleasant. Just like an addiction, she'd look away only to want to look at him again and it would just keep on going. However, the fact that he may not feel the same way she did hurt her emotionally—the kind of pain that hurts the most.

Jack wondered what had been bothering her. She'd been that way for a few months now. He couldn't look at her face straight on without her looking in the other direction. And he found that it hurt. Maybe she didn't want to look at him because he was so pathetic. He scratched his head to get rid of the stress, but it did nothing to get rid of the pain.

"Get a hold of yourself…" He mumbled quietly to himself. "What'd you say?" Nami asked him. "Nothing…" He shyly turned his head to look at her; afraid he'd get caught. She still was looking away from him. Strands of her hair blew along with the wind. He couldn't stop himself from wondering how she'd look with longer hair. And he had to ask.

"Are you letting your hair grow?" Nami quickly turned her head to face him.

"Huh?" As a reaction, her hand ran through the length of her growing hair. "I think you'd look prettier than you do now." He chuckled. But he found himself looking at the ground in guilt when she looked away in sadness. He quickly changed the subject.

"Do you know anything about dropping utensils onto the floor?" He asked.

"Why?"

"Well, my mom said I'd have a lot of women visiting me because I kept dropping my forks during dinner time. Are they true?" He scooted closer to her.

"Yea…I guess." She resisted from laying her head on his shoulder

"I think they are true." She looked him. "You've been coming here almost everyday." He sent her a smile that made her feel relieved she was sitting. "I'm glad I kept dropping all those forks."

Damn him. Why does he always say things like that? She hated it whenever he was like that because he says it so normally—like it's nothing. It's so difficult to tell whether or not he really means it. The things she wanted to do to him…she didn't know how long she'd be able to keep it all bottled up.

"Uh oh. I think Lumina is heading towards us." Nami said nothing. There were things she wanted to say to the rich woman—things that are better left unsaid. "You think she's going to ask me out again?" He looked at her for an answer. "I don't know if I should."

"Give her a chance. She's really into you." Nami kept in the urge to shout a protest. She desperately wanted to let him know that it was she that really wanted him. Not Lumina. And after what she just said…she knew she'd regret it.

"Really?" He said surprised. Though she sensed there was still some doubt in him judging by the familiar expression of uncertainty he held on his handsome face—an expression he seemed most attached to.

"But…I really don't want to." He groaned.

"Hey, you might actually like her." She didn't know why she was encouraging him to be with her. It was painful to imagine him with someone else. A week ago, she dreamt that Jack was married and in love with Lumina and with fifteen kids running around the villa. She had cried that night. It was unbearable.

"You…sure?" No. She wasn't. She actually wanted him to hate Lumina. But, she nodded anyway. Whatever. Who needs him anyway? It's all about traveling right? It's what she wants…what she needs. And the horrible feeling came back.

Gray had forgotten how many times he'd shifted positions on the couch he laid on in the library. He twisted the bookmark his hand as he read—a blue feather. Long ago, the feather was symbolized as a proposal to marriage. He had found one when he first arrived in mineral town five years ago. He'd been looking at the library when the feather he now held in his hands landed on the grown before him. It was if it was meant for him. But he didn't know what to do with it. He still doesn't. But he now keeps it as a good luck charm. Who knows? Maybe the feather still does symbolize marriage. Then, maybe he and Mary would be bound together.

"Gray…you've been fidgeting around for a while now…is something wrong?" He turned away from her, and continued to read the book in his hands.

"Is the couch not roomy enough?" The couch was definitely roomy. And it was really comfortable. However, his pants were not at the moment.

"Try the leg rest." He shook his head. "I like laying on my side to read."

"You sure? Maybe the pillows need…" He felt a chill run through his body when he found her standing over in front of him. Her gaze glued to the title on the book cover.

"Where'd you get that?" She asked in disbelief. "On your desk." He said and turned his attention back to the book. "It's really good." All too quickly, he found himself in a tug-of-war match with his girlfriend—the book as the rope.

"But…" She was cut short when he yanked her arm and brought her down upon him. "You're not supposed to read this. It's not finished." Actually, Mary was hoping he'd never encountered the book in the first place.

"Hush. I'm almost done." He closed the book and fixed her form on top of him. "Just lay on top of me."

"I don't think this is a good idea." He shut her up by giving her a quick peck on the lips. Normally, she'd resist. But she couldn't find the strength to. The beat of his heart rung through her ears, making her eyes feel heavier with each second that passed. She regretted not sleeping in that morning. But no…she had to write more story ideas down.

Within minutes he felt her breathing slow down. But he soon began to think that maybe Mary being on top of him wasn't such a great idea after all. He felt a growing sensation in his pants—a familiar occurrence when reading his girlfriend's novels. What made it different was that she was sleeping on top of him. Mary moaned softly in her sleep. The action did nothing to ease his desire. Instead, it increased. The book fell from his hand and landed open onto the wooden floor with a thud. He only had twenty-two pages left too.

"Mary." He tried gently shaking her awake. But he was shocked when he felt her soft lips make contact with the skin of his neck.

"Mary." He called out a bit louder, his voice cracked. He felt near paralyzed. "Mary." He tried again. Relief fell upon him when her eyes fluttered opened. In one swift movement she was up and off him, blurting out infinite apologies and ran away leaving him to himself.

Gray knocked on the door that blocked entrance into the second floor of the library. He realized that he hadn't come up with anything to say until Mary opened the door. Both of them stood staring at each other. It was clear on their faces that they wanted to say something. But neither could find the words to speak. Gray shuddered remembering the feel of her lips on his neck. That book…the one he held in his hand…it wasn't so much of a coincidence wasn't it? The main characters—Mira and Gage—the similarities were obvious. He had to find out if she really felt that way—if she wanted him as much as he wanted her.

Their kiss was quite different than what they would normally have. The kiss they shared now was fervent. Passionate. Urgent. Needy. Mary could barely take in the sensational feeling that overwhelmed her. His hands framed her face and he slanted his mouth over hers, answering her need with his own. She abruptly broke off the kiss, her shoulders heaving.

"I want you…Goddess…I need you."

And that was all he needed to hear.

One by one, articles of clothing touched the floor until they were both standing naked. He dipped his head down and caught her mouth for another kiss. Mary, caught by surprise, wasn't able to see his shoe that she tripped over. Using his hands, he managed to stop himself from crushing her.

"Sorry…" He said his voice filled with desire. He kissed her again in apology. His right hand gently cupped her left breast, his thumb massaging her nipple. Mary stifled a moan. But what was stifled was replaced with a whimper. He directed his mouth to her other nipple, not wanting to neglect it. And this time she couldn't hold in a moan.

"You sure you want to do this?" Mary only nodded. He was well aware that she was a virgin. And he held a small fear of causing her pain inside. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down for a kiss full of love and longing. He fulfilled her longing when his tongue shyly asked for entrance and she welcomed him in, his tongue gently caressing against hers.

The head of his penis rubbed against her opening and another moan escaped from her mouth. He gazed into her eyes as if asking for another permission. He was surprised when he felt the need in her hands as they gripped his buttocks. And he kissed her, slowly sinking down, linking bodies as well as their hearts. A tear rolled down her cheek and he wiped it away with his finger.

"Just tell me when it's okay to move." He nuzzled her neck and trailed sweet kisses and licks across her jaw. It wasn't very long at all before she gave him the okay. His rhythm was slow and gentle, quite the opposite from what she'd expect from him. Not that she didn't like it. She loved it. Loved him. Beneath this strong exterior of a man really did lay a loveable soul—just as she'd always thought. Gray broke away from their kiss and redirected his mouth to her breast, his hand finding the other.

Sighs and soft moans filled the room, each one filled with love and desire. "Gray…oh, Gray." She whimpered, her voice trembling, the world around her long gone. Only the two of them existed. His mouth found hers and her body shuddered as she gave herself to him—as he gave himself to her.

He gathered her in his arms and they were silent. No words…only the sounds of their panting. Eventually, their breathing evened.

Mary couldn't believe it happened. It was just like in her book…their first time. She felt warmth in her cheeks. If only he…

"Mary?" He whispered laying another kiss on her neck. "My answer is…yes." Mary turned to look at him.

"To what question?" She asked. "On the last page…of your book." She gazed up at him wide-eyed. And he showed her.

It was just like in her book…

_"Will you marry me now?" Mira asked him. Gage lovingly gazed into her eyes and kissed her. _

_**As the saying goes, actions speak louder than words.**_

_**"Yea…"**_

_** But he said yes anyway. Just to make sure.**_

Mary closed the book and tossed the pen away behind her. "There. Now it's finished." And he laughed. "But our story—our lives together have only just begun."


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer – I do not own Harvest Moon.**

_A/N: I hope you all can forgive me. For the longest time I wondered how to go about this chapter in particular. There were so many different scenarios I could have used. I decided to resolve the issue with Rick and his sister now since I wasn't sure if I could be happy it dragging it on._

_I hope you find it surprising. :)_

As Plain as Brown

_Sometimes, simple things can turn out to be far more complex than they seem._

Rick felt like the biggest idiot. "I'm sorry." He said to his little sister as she fed corn feed to the chickens on the ground. She was his little sister. All throughout her life he'd been her protector. And now, it felt like all of the sudden she didn't need him anymore. He'd been the biggest jerk for the past few months and for what? All just because of Kai. Karen had talked to him and made realize that he'd only been hurting his little sister. Not protecting her. And Kai, he didn't deserve his disrespect in the least. For the longest time Rick had always held him under suspicion of playing Popuri, using the fact that he left the village at the end of every summer as his only expedient. Rick would not believe that Kai disliked the cold. He probably had a woman for every season. But that was baseless.

"That's not true." Popuri told him. "I'll always need my older brother." Rick smiled. His little sister was amazing. She shouldn't be so forgiving to him. He didn't deserve it. Like Karen had said or more like yelled at him emotionally, she needs grow up on her own. "Kai said he's going to stay here permanently." She said happily with a smile. Rick smiled. "Yea? That's cool. You guys going to get married?" He teased. Popuri could only blush. "Shut up."

For the first time in while, Rick felt relaxed.

* * *

Lumina wasn't a woman who'd simply let things slip from her fingers. At least not on purpose. If she wanted something she'd go get it. But the thing is, Jack isn't even within reaching distance. It'd be a stretch to think that he'd just _slip away_ from her fingers. It's more like trying to reach for the stars—idealistic yet literally impossible. However, she also wasn't the type of woman who'd just give up on trying to snatch a man who wasn't interested. She just has to come up with something to pull his attention away from Nami. She wasn't clueless. The two of them had been spending time with each other since the first month he arrived here in the valley. It would only be a certain amount of time before he'd fall in love with her. To Lumina, Nami seemed to hide whatever feelings of affection she had for him quite well. Well enough for Jack to notice anything. But even at that, Lumina knew Nami's feelings ran deep for the man. Lumina couldn't blame her.

Lumina sat on her bed and continued to nonchalantly flip through the channels the television had to offer—all five thousand of them. Amazingly enough, more than ninety percent of them were blue screens. A sigh escaped her lips as she begun round two of channel flipping. She skipped along the first several channels and passed the news. However, she immediately flashed back. The only word that she managed to catch was _missing._ But it was the picture of Jack plastered on the top right-hand corner of the screen that put her in a state of shock.

"What in the world?" She said to herself. Her hands quickly snatched the phone sitting on the bedside drawer and phoned Sebastian.

"Sebastian, could you…" She paused, still stricken from the news. "Could find out where Jack's parents live?" She finished her request.

"Already found it miss. If you'd look to the floor near your door you'll see a brown envelope. In it I've enclosed his parent's address along with a picture of their estate. You'll be quite surprised." Lumina stared at the envelope lying on the carpet in front of her door surprised. "T-thank you." She managed from the added shock of information. "You're welcome miss." He hung up. As Sebastian said himself, she was indeed surprised. And wondered if he ever worked with the secret service or something.

* * *

Jack rang the doorbell of his old home. A number of things ran through his head as he waited for the door to open. He wasn't angry. Instead he felt stupid and embarrassed with himself. He hadn't told anyone that he was leaving. It was his own fault his face ended up on the news. A moment past before he began to feel nervous. How would his mother react upon seeing him after four months of being absent?

The door opened and the face and form of his mother stood in front him.

"He-…" He tensed when she stopped in mid sentence. And it felt like an eternity had passed as he watched her blue eyes search his for any kind of confirmation that this was real. Tears began to gather at the corners of her eyes and he turned his gaze away and unto the welcome mat set in front of the door in guilt—a reaction she was familiar with coming from him. And it was all the conformation she needed. In a matter of split seconds she was in her son's arms in a bone-crushing hug. She had her son back. Her son was alive, safe, and sound. Her son was home.

* * *

Another elated sigh escaped Chelsea's lips as she continued to peel potatoes in front of the kitchen sink and contemplated how far she'd come along from managing to turn food into poison to actually cooking magnificently delicious food. It only took one night after Jack's college graduation for her to realize that something was wrong. He hadn't come back. He'd left his cell phone. Hadn't left a word of where he was going. He just slipped away without anyone noticing.

He was always quiet as a toddler and even so now. She'd often have trouble finding him around the house from the lack of noise he made. A slightly somber and reminiscent smile graced her lips as she remembered the time she lugged her pregnant self around the whole house searching for the toddler only to discover that he had fallen asleep with a picture book at hand on the sofa in her office where she'd been working—exactly where she put him. She'd felt a stab at her heart when she discovered evidence he'd been crying. She hadn't heard him do even that. And then she remembered her broken promise to read to him that night.

Riddled with guilt she resigned from her restless job so she could properly care for her children. She hadn't a need for a job. Her husband was already making far more than enough money to provide for the family. She felt utterly selfish. But when Claire was introduced to their life, she found increasingly less and less time to spend with Jack. Claire was very demanding. And stingy. Chelsea loved Jack fiercely and will always hold a large soft spot for him—especially when he sends her one of his endearing smiles. But there was no denying that there was a small distance between them.

When he left without word she felt an enormous sense of loss and the guilt of her failures came back to her at full force. It felt like another one of those times she failed to notice him. In those months of his absence she was only able to find comfort in two things—her husband and cooking. The first few weeks she tried were unsuccessful. But with nothing to keep her occupied, she continued to find solace in cooking. With help and a lot of encouragement from her chef and husband, she was able to turn somewhat into Julia Child.

She finished peeling the last of the potatoes and tossed it into the awaiting bowl of potatoes drowned in water. She then transferred them onto a pot and left them to boil on the stove. She almost yelped when a pair of arms snaked their way around her waist and her body was suddenly pressed against another. She giggled.

"Mark stop. I'm cooking." She attempted to pull his hands away from her but felt the will to resist dissipated when she felt his lips make contact with the back of her neck.

"Cooking what?" His head moved around to scan the kitchen and had found a baked Dutch apple pie cooling on the counter nearby the window. His mouth watered.

"Mash potatoes?" He moved away from her.

"Mhm."

"Gravy?" The volume of his voice decreased.

"Mhm."

"Fried Chicken?" His eyes spotted an unopened, sealed package of chicken wings and drumsticks defrosted on the counter.

"Mhm. Don't even think about touching that pie." Chelsea warned. A silver spoon made contact with the back of his head.

"Ow." He whined quietly. "Is there a special occasion I should know about?" Mark inquired. Usually it was their chef Steiner who'd do the cooking. Mark had been adamant about hiring the silver-haired pretty boy. Steiner was younger and an excellent woman charmer. But he was a genius in the kitchen—especially with curry. Much to his relief and happiness, Chelsea sensed his unease and assured him of her love every night that week.

Mark been watching her vastly improve in the culinary field, but it wasn't like her to cook multiple dishes. She usually only makes one. He scanned the calendar magnet on the fridge in hopes of finding his answer but there was nothing written on it.

"Why don't you go check the living room and see for yourself." She said consealedly. Another elated sigh escaped her lips and then she moved on to the chicken.

* * *

Chelsea found her husband sitting quietly on the recliner watching Jack sleep on the couch across from him. The T.V. blasted with the sounds of arguing, but it didn't seem to faze him. She took that time to take in his features. Fifty-one years old and he still looked wonderful. The few strands of gray hair in his blonde locks only served to remind her how long they've been together. She went and stood behind the recliner and rested her hands upon his chest, her hands running through the material of the black suit he wore.

"He just came back this morning?" He asked in a hushed tone forgetting about the loud noise the T.V. emitted. "Yea. He was at Forget-Me-Not Valley. He's a farmer now." Mark tilted his head back and gave his wife a look of surprise. When her gaze met his, the look they shared became reminiscent—a secret shared between the two. He couldn't stop the prideful smile from splaying itself on his face. A light smacking sound of lips kissing quickly pulled his attention to the T.V. The effect the scene had on him was almost immediate.

"I'm going to wake him up. Dinner's ready." She started to move towards her son but Mark had quickly grabbed her hand. His right hand patted his right thigh. She frowned at his silent request but found she couldn't completely resist the needy look in his emerald eyes. "Not here." She near growled and motioned towards the sleeping form on the couch with her head. His lips formed into a pout. "…Just want to hold you." He whined somewhat embarrassed. Chelsea fought the urge to toss herself onto him. All three of her boys were masters at the expression. She slowly and somewhat unwillingly made her way over to him and sat on his lap bridal style.

He pulled her closer and buried his nose in her neck taking in the scent of fried chicken. Panting and soft moans from the T.V. echoed throughout the large room. "Sorry." He apologized sheepishly when she sent him a look. She wiggled herself and he gritted his teeth together from the sensation. "That's not helping." He grumbled. Chelsea moved to grab the remote off the coffee table making sure to brush against his erection and changed the channel to something less romantic and erotic. "Weren't you the one who didn't want this?" He asked huskily.

She was. But her mind was soon changed when Mark pulled her in and tenderly kissed her. Even after twenty-nine years, it still seemed like they've only just gotten married. "Not here." She mumbled quietly with her eyes closed, her forehead against his. Smiling at the need he heard in her voice, his hands found rest at the round of her butt and with little struggle he lifted both their bodies off the recliner. Her legs wrapped around his waist as she kissed him, her fingers digging themselves into his hair. Because Mark had his eyes closed, he had no time to look ahead and Chelsea felt her back come in contact with the wall behind from where their son lay asleep.

"You okay?" He asked kissing her neck. He slipped his palm into her sweater, removed her bra, and closed his hand over her breast. Her reply came out almost as a whimper. He slipped her shirt off and slowly trailed kisses down from her neck to her other breast and enveloped the pert nipple in his mouth. A moan escaped his wife's lips. The sensations of his hands gently massaging her breast and his mouth tonguing and kissing her other breast was sending her into a state of euphoria. Mark reluctantly moved his hand away from her breast momentarily to unbutton her jeans. Not wanting to deprive the abandoned breast of his mouth he switched over to it. Cool air brushed against the saliva-coated nipple sending another wave of pleasure throughout her body. With her jeans off of her legs, Mark slipped his hand into her underwear and ran his fingers through the soft brown curls down to her moist, swollen entrance. He gently rubbed her clitoris before running his middle finger up and down along the opening.

"Not here…Jack." She whined unable to finish. "I'll keep you quiet love." Mark whispered into her ear and reached over to the thermostat on the wall near them and increased the volume of the television. Conveniently, it was also a universal remote. He kissed her and slowly inserted his finger into her vagina. Chelsea moaned into the kiss.

"Remember the night Jack was conceived?" He asked her. She still remembered quite clearly. It was on this same wall two days after Christmas…and on the couch where their son currently slept…and near the front of the fireplace. The emotions she experienced then—the emotions she experienced every time she was with him beat strongly in her heart now. She nodded weakly as he continued the slow thrusting of his finger. Mark kissed her again and began pulling his finger back with a beckoning motion, stroking her g-spot. Within a minute he felt her warm walls contract around his finger. He licked and kissed her neck taking pleasure in her soft moans, waiting for her orgasm to subside before pulling out. He brought his wet-coated finger to his mouth and sucked it clean, savoring it and the fact it came from her brought him further enjoyment. He nuzzled his face on her shoulder and laughed when he felt his wife's hands move to remove his pants.

"I take it you want some more?" Chelsea said nothing and let his pants drop to his angles. She giggled watching his penis bounce up near the speed of light. "That feels better." He mumbled. Her hand gently rubbed up along his testicles and against the base of his penis up to the head where a bead of clear lubricant-like liquid hung like a Christmas tree ornament. She wiped it off with her finger and licked the slightly salty substance clean. Overtaken with need he kissed her fervently. He blindly guided his erection up to her vagina and felt the hot wet lips against the head of his penis. Slowly he pushed in and heard his wife sigh in contentment. Being a man of his word. He sealed her mouth with his in a long loving kiss, tongues massaging each other, moaning softly together with each slow, gentle thrust. The world around them disappeared and the knowing fact of their son being in the same room became an excitement. In the midst of their lovemaking, Chelsea felt a sudden want for another baby and pulled her husband closer to her—deeper.

"I love you." He mumbled huskily and closed over her mouth again. She knew he meant it every time. And it also meant he was close. But he surprised her when he kept on going. He stopped kissing her and had his eyes tightly shut. Mark hadn't told her, but he took no satisfaction until she came first. So he held on and it took all his concentration to keep his release in. His effort turned her on and she was put into another state of bliss that quickly brought her to her climax. She felt him relax and release himself into her. Content flowed throughout her body feeling the hardening contractions of her husband's orgasm. She kissed along the line of his jaw in appreciation. Mark held on to her, taking in the sounds of her panting that felt like music to his ears. Once their breathing returned to normal they separated.

"You want to go shower?" He asked her. She shook her head. "Later. After dinner." He nodded and tried to blink away sleep.

"Looks like someone is about ready for bed." She laughed finding it adorable how he got tired after sex. "No. I'm hungry." He yawned.

* * *

"I called Pete and Claire. They're coming over see you tomorrow." His mother said happily. All her kids will be back in the house. Even if it was only for a few days, the thought had made her happy. Jack nodded and continued to pick at his mashed potatoes. His silence worried her and his flushed cheeks only added to it. And then she froze. Maybe he knew what they did. Embarrassment filled her and she suddenly felt dirty.

"You alright there son?" As if on cue, realization hit Mark in the face and he too was filled with embarrassment.

"I'm fine." Jack tried to assure. He was fine physically. He wasn't sick. But his mind and his emotions were running haywire. He felt downright shameful at the moment. When he was sleeping on the couch he'd dreamt an improper dream concerning his close female friend. Just thinking of her name alone was enough to make him feel like hiding under a blanket. How was he going to face her now? A mild dollop of depression invaded his heart. Even he was able to face her would she want to look at him? He'd been lying to her the whole time—hiding a part of him—hiding his family. He hid this from her because he didn't want her think of him differently—didn't want her to be with him just because his family had money. _With him_. He felt his own temperature rise again at that thought. Jack sighed. It was clear to him now. Clear in his mind. Clear in his heart. He'd fallen in love with Nami. Why would he all of the sudden feel the need to impress her all the time? Why'd he order those fifteen pound dumbbells sitting underneath his bed? Why would he feel guilty for getting caught staring at her too long? Why had he felt lightheaded when she hugged him on his birthday? Why had he wanted it have lasted longer? Why'd he love the red scarf she had sewn for him as a present so much? And why, was he still wishing she would never leave Forget-Me-Not Valley? It all came down to one answer. But he knows they can never happen. Nami is a traveler. And travelers travel. She said she'd leave by the end of December. So he had less than three months with her. Could he change her mind by then?

"We're sorry you had see us like that. We couldn't—". Mark yelped when he felt a sharp twinge on his shin. "I mean, I couldn't wait…" His voice trailed off when he noticed the lost and curious stare of his son. "Huh? What happened?"

"We were wrestling each other. You see, your father had the remote and turned the volume up loud. You were sleeping and I wanted to lower the volume. He wouldn't give me the remote so…you know the rest." Chelsea laughed and prayed he would believe it. "Oh…kay." Jack said slowly. He had the strange feeling that they did something embarrassing. And it wasn't wrestling. It couldn't have been sex. It wasn't like them to just do it anywhere at anytime. Or, maybe he was completely wrong and they had done the deed like impatient animals in heat right in his presence. Jack berated himself for that thought. Who cares? They still love each other and that's all that matters. And he was happy with that.

Jack heard his father clear his throat and looked to him. "So, your mother says you're a farmer now. How is it going for you?" Jack shrugged. "Alright I guess. I won't be able to fill the whole field up until I get sprinklers." Jack answered. "Crop swapping." Mark said. "Hm?" Jack inquired. "Crop swap. You shouldn't plant a whole field. Split the field in half and only plant on one side. Then, after you've harvested one side switch to the other. This confuses parasites and leaves your crop clean and bug free. You won't have a need to damage your crop with pesticide spray. Say, do you have a barn?" Jack nodded. "Plant grass on the side you're not growing anything on and have some cows graze on it. It leaves the ground fertile for when you switch." Jack nodded, a little shocked from the information his father sent him. He had to ask. "You were a farmer before weren't you?"

Mark was exceptional at farming. Right after he graduated from college with a degree in horticulture he went and sought out land for his would-be farm. He came upon a nameless island with a few people resident. There he met Chelsea Kessler. Young and spirited like he was she too wanted to be a farmer. That's what she said. So he suggested they be partners. They were both new at it so he thought it'd be a good idea.

A month passed and if one were to have been watching them he would've evaluated the following: In a period of one month Mark turned out be a pretty good farmer. Chelsea on the other hand needed some more help. She was an absolute wreck at the profession. But despite this, Mark decided that helping her with her goal of becoming a good farmer was now his goal for the time being. More months passed and Chelsea found herself improving. And on a cold blizzard night huddled together on the old, peeling couch in their shack, Chelsea divulged a secret to Mark—a secret she'd been keeping from him.

Chelsea never wanted to be a farmer. She didn't know what she wanted to be—never had known. But when she saw him on that one fine summer day stepping off the ferry, she, all of the sudden, felt like staying where she was. After this revelation Mark began seeing her in a new light and found it heart-pumpingly difficult to be around her and even more so without her. And then quite quickly—no sooner than the end of January had she become his wife. And on the thirty-first of October their first son Pete was born.

After this point, a sharp decline had hit the island. That next summer after, a typhoon had hit them and it destroyed nearly everything but the people who inhabit it. Fearing for their own safety and for the fact that they no longer had a source of income to support themselves and their baby, they left the island behind. An island that Mark had affectionately named Eos Island—for every time he'd been left breathless when he found his wife staring off into the ocean with her hair brown swaying in the cool morning sun.

The family lived near poverty for about five years in the city. However, things miraculously picked up when he found out his father had passed away from an overdose of heart medication. Mark and his father had never really seen things eye to eye and their relationship deteriorated further after his mother died trying to save him from getting hit by speeding car when he was seven. They were almost complete opposites. And after an enormous argument before he left to start his life Mark was certain his father never wanted to see him again. But shock hit him when he read his father's will which had expressed his greatest regret—losing his only son. His father's dying wish was that Mark would take over his position as a mutual funds manager and hoped that he and his family would be happy. Immediately Mark moved his wife and child to the suburbs after his first paycheck. And after a year, he moved them into a mansion on the hillside. In that mansion two days after Christmas the couple had conceived another child—a baby boy born on the nineteenth of September, named after Mark's father—Jack. Jack Kessler Harvest II.

"Yes. Your mother and I were farmers son." Mark said wistfully, taking a hold of his wife's hand underneath the table.

* * *

_A/N: Shippostail - Keep in mind that Mark did not touch the universal thermostat with his "sugar" coated finger. XD_

* * *


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer – I do not own Harvest Moon or any of its character names.**

As Plain as Brown

* * *

Chelsea could finally relax a little now that she found Jack was doing fine on his own. Though the image of him, alone in a tiny, old cottage that'd easily be swept away by a storm unsettled her. It was difficult to find any relief picturing him blowing on his hands under a thin blanket throughout a harsh winter. That wouldn't do. That wouldn't do at all. She'd have to talk to Mark about his living arrangement. Whether her son liked it or not they are moving him out of that dump and into something that would ease her worry.

The buzzer rang her out of her thoughts. Chelsea rushed, pushed on the intercom button and chimed, "Who is this?"

"Am I speaking to the woman of the house?" An elderly gentleman's voice replied.

"This is she." She waited a few seconds before heard the voice of a female reply, "Hi, Mrs. Harvest I'm Lumina Tristesse. I'm sorry bother you without notice but I've been wanting to meet Jack's parents."

* * *

"So let me get this straight. You want to marry our son?" This is the first time Mark has ever witnessed a woman asking for a son's parents' blessings. He wasn't sure if he should feel lucky or worried. But it didn't feel right. He felt like he'd be betraying his son—he didn't mean to be misogynistic but he'd come to assume women always had secret plans stashed away somewhere. But perhaps he had his wife to blame for that.

"Are you talking about me?" Pete stepped down from up the stairs, dressed for work.

"Jack?" Lumina wondered out loud.

"Oh...no. Sorry, wrong brother. This one is Pete. The middle triplet." He pointed at himself, thumb to chest, making fun of his and Jack's likeness to their father.

"There is a third one?" Lumina looked to Chelsea in wonder.

"No, no. He means to include this one here." Chelsea laughed, grabbing her husband's arm and giving it a shake, who, despite it all remained quite seriously in thought. "That one over there was born seven years before Jack. And my husband—born way before them." Chelsea made clear.

"You know, thats good. I was beginning to think girls weren't Jack's thing. How did he snag one anyway? With him being so quiet and all..." Pete wondered, sitting with them and putting on his work boots.

"While it is true that he doesn't speak much it is clear that he's kind and hardworking..." Lumina began.

"_So what if girls aren't his thing. He's your brother. _I taught my children to love each other no matter what!" Chelsea chastised, interrupting her.

"Of course I love him. I didn't mean to imply any resentment, Mom. Maybe some people are just fine with themselves. Even if he was gay I could still hang out with him because I know he's not fruity and flamboyant and into fashion and make up—_that is so not him_—you know, someone I can do guy stuff with." Pete assured, tying his shoe laces.

"Back to the subject of marriage when are _you_ going to get married? You are almost thirty..." Chelsea poked.

Pete stood up from his seat. "Its not like I'll _die_ at that time. Men can stay fertile all their life. Anyways, I gotta go or I'll be late. Nice meeting you, Lumina." When Pete disappeared out the door Lumina proceeded to ask, "What does he do?"

"Manual Labor." Both Mark and Chelsea answered simultaneously.

"Really? Seems to run in the family." Lumina commented admirably. Lumina spotted the house chef out of the corner of her eye setting a silver tray down on the table.

"Your tea, mistress." He confirmed. Lumina thanked him before taking a sip. Her eyes widened. It was delicious.

"This is wonderful! What is it?" She looked up and found the face of a beautiful, young man.

"I knew you'd like it." He said, pleased, taking her free hand and placing a kiss upon it. Lumina inspected his name pin and read, Skye.

* * *

"I had a feeling you were…" Nami trailed off. It was unfair. It was hard for her to be mad at this guy because she knew he was already hurting himself. He was a pathetic, lying, newbie farmer who was a burden to her _and_ himself…a man who has trouble seeing that he was enough—good—great.

She watched from her spot on the grass, in slight fascination as he stopped plucking turnips off the ground and used his left wrist to part the hair away from his eyes.

"…Guess I couldn't hide it from you after all." He admitted, remembering his slip up from months ago. Uncertainty glazed over his eyes but it disappeared as fast as it came and he resumed picking the crop. He had to hurry. The dark, heavy clouds looked threatening and gave no indication of their time limit.

"There…isn't anything that'll keep you here…is there?" He asked. "I don't know." And that was the truth. "I mean, what life is there for me if I stay?" She caught his eyes and knew he wanted to say something but uncertainty founds it way back to them.

"I could…hire you to work for me." He suggested. The prospect sparked an unwanted hope in her. She shook her head in refusal. "I can't really see myself doing that for the rest of my life." She told him.

"Oh." He stood to carry the large, heavy basket of turnips over to the shipping crate Mayor Thomas had left for him and poured the produce into it. He closed the lid and released a breath of satisfaction.

"Ah, crap." He cursed. Cold, needle-like raindrops began their decent, piercing their skin and soaking their clothes.

"Where is Mage?" He panicked, scanning the field for the large silver dog. "You head on inside while I go get him." He told her.

Despite her freezing skin and the cooled atmosphere of the shack she felt a strange, comforting sense of warmth as she stood at the entrance, door closed behind her, water and dirt mixing into a pool beneath her feet. The door opened and she quickly spun around and stepped back to see Jack enter with Mage right behind him.

Bodies cold and shivering, wet, heavy clothes clinging tightly to their skins, for a long moment neither knew what to do. Both of them knew what they risked if all of them don't get warm soon but neither of them seemed capable of anything but eye contact. It took some effort for Jack to pull his head down to see Mage looking up at him, mouth open, tongue dangling, tail wagging, wet, dirty, and happy.

"We should get this guy cleaned first." He said finally, figuring it would be best. He didn't want Mage to fall ill and he didn't want him to dirtying up the place. The sight of a mud-stained bed would tick him off.

"Okay, but we need to hurry before we get sick."

Usually, bathing Mage was somewhat difficult for Jack. Mage disliked the loud noise the shower head would make against the tub and would often try to escape the bathroom. But with Nami at his side Mage was rather well-behaved this time around. Or perhaps they were just lucky today.

After Mage was clean and dry Jack suggested she went next, sneezing as he did so. Despite her efforts he insisted, claiming it was better to save herself before she fell victim too. Then she got mad and he found himself in the shower with her, backs against each other, underwear on.

The rain continued its relentless pelting of wet bullets making it incredibly difficult to tell the time of day without a watch and the pair had long since run out of topics to talk about. Jack began stretching his arms. In this silence Nami remembered just how difficult it was to be near him. Nami watched him pull a pair of twenty pound dumbbells from under his bed frame and began pushing them toward the ceiling once he laid flat on the bed, twisting it slowly one hundred and eighty degrees until the weights at the end were held horizontal. "You know I haven't seen Lumina around here in a while…" Nami started, having noticed. Jack, lying on his bed, lowered the dumbbell back down slowly, reversing the motion until the dumbbells stopped in vertical alignment, seeming as though he did not want to answer. He felt somewhat self-conscious having realized he was weight-lifting under her watch—as if to show off. But he half hoped his action had left a positive effect on her. This was something he did in private every other weekday. He found he enjoyed sleeping with an ache in his arms after a thirty to forty five minute session and it was perfect because he was able to clear his head and think about nothing and anything. It was a meditative, relaxing experience and he wished that he had gotten into it sooner. He gave her an answer after the twentieth rep.

"I don't…have feelings for her...if that's what you're wondering." He finally said. The familiar twinges of anxiety filled his chest and poked at the back of his throat. "Did you tell her that?"

"Yes. I did." Nami wasn't sure to buy it. "And?"

"I don't know. I haven't seen her since then." Jack shrugged and set the dumbbells down on the floor beside him before setting back down, resting his head on his hands. "I'm horrible. I realize now I must've been leading her on this whole time. I should've said something a long time ago."

"You're a jerk. You know that? You're not a nice guy after all."

"I just thought that after seeing you and me together enough times…she'd get the picture." The last part left his mouth quietly. His eyes connected with hers briefly before turning his back to her. At that moment the temperature seemed to have dropped even further and he pulled the bed cover from under him for warmth, deciding it was good idea to just hide and go to sleep. But he couldn't sleep because he didn't think it'd be easy to say what just left his mouth..

When he finally heard her shuffle he cowered into a tight, fetal position under the bed cover expecting to hear the door open. He didn't. The cover lifted, a cold breeze brushed against his back before feeling the cover collapse.

"What do you mean?" He heard from behind. At that moment he felt that time had gained a pair of eyes—wondering what'd choice he'd make. Would this be a good time to profess his love? He supposed it was now or never. But...

It didn't feel like the right thing to do.

And so with forlorn finality he realized they weren't meant to be.

"It wouldn't make anything better." He admitted.

* * *

For the next few days Jack fronted as much as he could—as if his life was the only burden he carried on his back. In truth it really was his only burden. Everything that happened to him up to this point—what may happen to him hereafter—is all represented in the large metaphysical boulder. He wasn't sure though...how much of the weight actually belonged to what he decided to bottle up. On the day Nami was to leave he pondered again, wondering if it was truly the right decision to keep quiet. The selfish part of himself protested and berated him with yearnful feelings and the other part himself—the part that wanted her to follow her dream—wanted to set her free. He realized now that he was depending heavily on her to make him happy. And that made him undeserving of her love. What he really needed was to learn to make himself happy. Jack exhaled a short breath of laugh finding it strange feeling happiness having just experienced a somewhat dim epiphany—a little disappointed it didn't come sooner. But it was also very illuminating he admitted. He _had_ to know though...

"Will you come back?" He asked her. Nami stopped just after the last step off of the ramp and turned her head to look behind memorizing his face—still, quietly yearning to feel his lips on her own among other things.

"Yea, definitely." She smiled. He nodded in relief, failing to fight against a smile of his own.

Separation or excitement. Nami wasn't sure what to pick. But it wasn't as if she knew how to dispel either of them anyway. The moment the ferry began moving away from the dock—it was a little like the first day of kindergarten, being left behind by her mother for the first time in an institution full of new people and things to learn...except this time she was leaving someone who affected her in a way only a lover can. Against her wishes tears slid down from the corner of her eyes. She quickly wiped them away feeling embarrassed and found Jack smiling at her. She wasn't an airhead. She could tell from his eyes that he was making fun of her. What a prick. To return the favor she flipped him off—thrusting her arm toward him for emphasis. But what he did next was—she didn't think she'd ever see him do such a thing—a single pelvic thrust, topped off with a smug expression. Nami laughed, shaking her head in disapproval, thinking it didn't suit him at all.

From then on they kept their eyes locked on each other's faces, memorizing until they were too small to recognize—promising to themselves that they'd never forget.

Like it'd be easy for Nami to...she still had a picture to go by...

* * *

**Author's Note:** I feel that there is no excuse worth giving for my absurdly long absence and that I do not deserve to even ask for forgiveness. What matters is that I'm okay and that I can continue to grow.

About the chapter...there were numerous scenarios that I had the luxury to choose from (Luxury is an overstatement. It made continuing really difficult because I'm a bit indecisive.). But I felt it was best to choose this path because it mirrored me—in a sense that I am slowly moving away from what I used to be and all the negativity that I imposed on myself.

I don't think so but I hope my writing style doesn't appear to have changed negatively.

-_Shippostail_


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harvest Moon or its characters. Only the story surrounding them.**

* * *

When the island came into view the restless excitement that had once settled within had resurged, escalating into anxiety. She could no longer keep still and opted to pace around the limited space of the ferry until it docked.

When she finally took her first step back on Mineral Town she felt the excitement come back to her. The town hadn't changed too much aesthetically considering she thought it was already rurally attractive the last time she was here. The only thing that seemed to have gone through much change was the old, abandoned farm land. In fact it had gotten worse. Since it had been left to its lonesome for so long the grass had grown tall enough to suggest it hid a swamp in the midst of it. The lonely, wooden shack looked eerily unkempt, its door had fallen to the ground due to its rusty hinges, mold growing along the walls—the only form of life now owned it. Strange though...she found a sign posted on the fence saying it had been purchased and was now owned by someone named, "Harvest". She could only think it was Jack who'd gone and done such a thing. Immediately she wondered how he was doing now.

On the path toward Forget-Me-Not Valley she faced a striking couple walking toward her with their three children. She had hoped to walk the way alone, preferring to meet old friends and acquaintances on her town time later.

"Oh, its you! I remember you." Nami hadn't seen much of her but she remembered her as Mary. However, this one standing before her, holding the hand of her little boy, was a real beauty. She no longer kept a braid, letting her hair roam free, framing her face quite nicely with their soft curls. And perhaps the strong, quiet, motherly nature that now surrounded her had something to do with it.

"Nami. Jack's old girl!" The one she knew as Gray now seemed like a new person to her. When she met him with Jack he was polite enough but very curt and seemed unwilling to participate in social interaction. Yet even then she felt that there was a dreamy quality about him that he kept hidden. Now holding a shy, male toddler in his arms, sporting a light goatee and shadow that framed his mouth very well and ditching the hat he used to wear all the time for a neat crew cut he was now...just dreamy.

"Old friend." She tried to correct. "Sure, okay." He said with no ounce of belief in his tone. He dropped and rested his right hand behind his tallest child, an adorable, dark haired girl who resembled her mother very much.

"This eight year old is Geneveive, our eldest. But we call her Vivi for short. This one hiding in my neck is Jase—he's two—he's very shy. And our five year old is Jeb. He generally doesn't have much to say but once he starts on something he's interested in we don't know when it ends." The little boy waved at her, embarrassed from his introduction. She waved back at him, smiling.

"I like your hair. It's pretty. Where'd you get it?" Vivi spoke up, the only child not described as shy or quiet.

"I was born with this color."

"Really? I wish I was born with your hair and not my boring brown. But I've done some Punnett squares and found out Mommy and Daddy's kids are more likely to be born with Black, brown, or auburn hair." Vivi stated in a factual manner. She sure was knowledgeable for her age.

"Sorry to disappoint you." Gray frowned, though no seriousness was seen in his eyes.

"I like brown. It's actually my favorite color. And you and your hair are very pretty." Nami assured her.

"Thank you!" Vivi brightened.

"Oh, no need to thank me thank your parents for having such beautiful kids."

"We are quite pretty huh, Mary?" Gray affirmed, resting his index and thumb on his chin, forming an L frame.

"Yea, we should stop being selfish and have more kids. Share more of our beauty with the world." Mary suggested dramatically as if she were on stage.

"But we don't have much room left!" Vivi cried. At this Nami laughed.

"We could just put you in the same room with Jeb and Jase. Three to a room! Then we'd have space for six more!" Gray suggested with mock excitement. Geneveive hadn't seen through it though.

"No!" She whined loudly, on the verge of tears. Gray pulled her close to him with his free arm not wanting to see her cry.

"Your mother and I were just kidding. Now come on love. Lets head home and get dinner ready. And afterward we can all learn more about, "The Biology of Humans". Gray tried to cheer her up. Nami was about to question him but he explained before she could even begin.

"Yea, I don't know why. She finds Rapunzel and the like incredibly uninteresting. She'd rather learn about zygotes and how babies are really made." Nami was about to voice her concerns but figured it wasn't her place to say and if Vivi knew now then they could be better prepared for it. Children are naturally curious and exploration is inevitable. Since they technically already had "The Talk" they wouldn't have to go through the awkwardness of having to do it when Geneveive and Jeb get older.

"Alright I should be on my way but before we split what were you guys doing at the valley?" She asked Gray.

"We were visiting uncle Jack." Answered Jeb. "He owns the Harvest Vineyard. It's very big." He looked as though he had more to say but stifled himself.

"I think you'll be in for a sight." Gray asserted. She thanked them and they bid their farewells a second time.

* * *

And he was right. It was amazing how much two farms could affect the valley. Vesta's farm had always done alright and seemed to have shown no signs of falter. It was Jack's farm that stopped her where she stood. The contrast between then and now...this couldn't possibly be the work of an amateur. Slowly, she walked along the fence taking in everything. She saw that the old, awkwardly placed shack that used to sit at the front had been torn down and replaced by a large, beautiful, wooden cottage that now oversaw the land from behind every lane of grape-bearing vine. A lane of paved, mix color stone, wide enough for two cars to fit side by side guided the way in, allowing the cottage to stand out royally. On the other end of the cottage she managed to make out a smaller building though it was just as endearing as the cottage. She could only guess it was a winery.

She was so enchanted by the sight that she almost missed the voices of two people coming toward her from behind.

"You ready for your afternoon nap, Kiddo?"

That voice. She recognized that voice. But it had changed a little. Deeper than what she remembered yet enough to strum her heartstrings in serenade.

"No." The source of the little voice yawned.

"You sure? Without sleep you may not be able to grow..."An insurmountable fear wrapped itself around every fiber of her being. She did not want to meet him like this. It was too soon. She wasn't ready. Quickly, her feet moved back the way she came.

"Hey!—"

She slowed down to a walking pace once she arrived back at mineral town. The sun was setting, leaving a gorgeous, fluorescent glow over the town. The delicious scents of dinner being cooked tantalized and stimulated her sense of smell, reminding her she that she hadn't eaten in a while. The hunger pains kicked in making her feel worse for running away the way she did. She felt so silly and ashamed. It honestly surprised her how just hearing his voice had affected her greatly. What would she have done if she had seen his face? Swim across the ocean perhaps.

No. That wasn't it. Her old feelings weren't the problem—they were never cruel to her. But the pain of having not said anything, not seeing him for eight years, no post card. Nothing. It was all guilt. A lot of it. She didn't deserve to come back. Deserve to think of him as friend.

She slowly wondered aimlessly around town, taking in the sights, hoping that the dark feelings she clung to would rip away from her. It helped a little when she realized she made the mistake of assuming that this town had not changed. It was now much larger than before due to what she guessed to be from an increase in population. Mineral Town was looking much more like a town now than a village. She stopped to look through the bay window of the town library and was greeted with the warm sight of the Smith family huddled together on the couch under the dim light of the chandelier. It gave the library an incredibly inviting feel.

"Nami?"

Nami quickly looked to her side to see Mary gazing at her with worry.

"Oh, I'm sorry I bothered you guys!" Mary's expression didn't change.

"It's no problem at all. But you're crying. Is everything alright? Have you had something to eat?" Nami quickly rubbed her face with the long sleeves of her teal shirt, assuring her that she was, "fine". She had hoped that no one would notice her obvious presence. But she supposed it was too much to ask for.

"It's just that seeing you guys again today made me realize how much I've missed this island. I've been all over the world and I've witnessed many things both beautiful and disconcerting. But this place...I realize...is home." It was the truth. There wasn't any other place besides her childhood's that she could call home. But she didn't feel like she had a home in the city anymore after the death of her mother.

"You know, the only reason why we call a place home is because have someone we love living in it." Nami nodded. Mary had only told her what she already knew. But hearing it from her made her feel better about coming back.

"Did you go see him? Jack, I mean." At this Nami sheepishly shook her head. "I'm afraid." She admitted. "I haven't been in here in so long. Haven't seen or spoken him in all that time...I'm not even sure if he'd even remember me anymore." Nami waited for Mary to respond, hoping to hear something wise. But Mary only leaned against the wall staring at the ground before them. Nami remembered unintentionally pulling Mary away from her family time and apologetically looked through the window only to see the rest of them wave at her. She waved back with a smile though she felt quite bad.

"It's getting dark. I should start heading over to Ruby's before it gets too dark to walk the path through the woods." Nami started to move away from the library, following the path she came from. "Thanks...for listening my trouble." She held a hand up to wave goodbye.

"Wait. You've seen the smaller building next to his house yet?" Mary asked her. She looked unsure. As if she may be divulging a secret. "It's his mother's cafe." Nami finally got to know what it was. "Oh! I was wondering what it was. I thought it may have been a winery." So it was Jack's mother's bakery. Though she had never met the woman personally Jack had described her as an awful cook who could burn water. So why would a mother who couldn't cook go through the trouble of owning a teahouse on her son's property?

"You can imagine what kind of people would frequent a cafe most." Mary looked at Nami for an answer.

"People who like tea and baked treats?" Nami hypothesized. Mary nodded. "Women." She specified, narrowing it down for her. Now, Mary looked deeply concerned.

"I don't think he's noticed but I think his mother is trying to set him up with a woman indirectly by attracting them onto the property. Mineral Town isn't the only of the two to have undergone growth in population." If Nami felt any disappointment she hid it rather well, a knowing smile splayed on her face.

"I'm honestly surprised he isn't married yet." Nami admitted. But something wasn't adding up. She swore he had a kid with him. Unless...the kid wasn't his...was it? She wanted badly to ask and confirm but she did not want to allude to anything. So for now she'd have to get comfortable with the guess that he was babysitting for someone.

"I'm not actually." Mary gave her opinion. "He has told Gray a couple of women have made advances but he's never gone farther than casually dining with them at the cafe. So I'm thinking that he either doesn't want to be with anyone or he's waiting for someone."

"Waiting for someone? What makes you guess that?" Nami asked her, suspiciously aware of what her answer might be.

"Oh, I don't know." Mary smiled. It was obviously information she did not want to divulge but Nami was no airhead. In Mary's refusal the answer was clear; she thought he was waiting for her.

But the thought produced a wonderful feeling so akin to hope but it was much more—flattering yet humbling. It made her realize that there is no justifiable reason to feel too ashamed to show herself to him. She had put off coming back for so long but enough was enough. She badly wanted to see him again—and everyone—and that's what she'll do.

Still, it hurt a lot to think he'd forgotten her.

"Do...do you think he's forgotten me?" Nami asked her not bothering to mask her worry anymore.

"Not at all. I have to admit though I had trouble accepting that the person standing right here is you. You're supposed to look like a boy."

A boy she said. How absurd. There's no way anyone can mistake her for a boy. She had good sized boobs, pale, smooth skin, no bulging muscles to show off, a waist that wasn't narrow, a face that she thought was actually pretty, pretty...and her hair was never tapered at the sides—she had pixie hair!

"Gray told me you dressed much like one. Don't be mad at me." Mary laughed, defending herself. "But really, you are as pretty as Jack says. There is no way he'd go and forget you...but I don't know how long he's willing to wait. It's best that you do something about that now no?"

Nami leered at her victoriously, a smug smile plastered on. "So you did think it was me he was waiting for...But thank you. For talking to me I mean...I needed a friend." Nami meant it. Up until now Mary had been a stranger to her. It was real nice now that has changed.

"We're all friends here on this island. You just haven't gotten to know them." Mary pointed out.

* * *

When she arrived back at the valley's entrance sign she remembered it would have been pitch black eight years ago save for the inn and bar, the Tristesse mansion, and the few lanterns that guided the way around. Now, the lamps had been replaced with electrical street lights much like those in Mineral Town and there were more buildings than before, all with electricity. The ground hundreds of feet away were now very visible and clear. Aside from that the valley still felt the same as before. And that was all that mattered to her.

She stopped in front of the inn she used to stay at, taking a long breath to calm her nerves. The delicious smell of food drifted from the chimney and straight into her nostrils, this time warning her of the consequences if she didn't grab something to eat soon with an even more painful ache in her stomach and throat. Taking one more last, long breath she opened the entrance door and stepped in before she could change her mind.

Numerous people looked up from their tables to peer at the new guest at the sound of the entrance bells chiming. She did not recognize any of them.

She was a little stunned to say in the least. She hadn't realized the building had gone through renovations. But what was there to expect? It's been eight years. The bar was now inside the first floor of the brightly lit inn which was now what also seemed to be a restaurant or food joint. It was completely different. Not that she remembered every detail of what it once was. But what made it obviously so was the amount of people inside, all drinking and dining, and chatting amiably on the fashionably pretty, wooden tables and chairs.

She thanked the friendly employees for their courteousness and made her way toward the empty table she had spotted at the back corner. When she was comfortable in her seat she skimmed through the contents of the menu for her favorite, Scalloped Potato Gratin, something that she undoubtedly hoped to be included. When she found it the anticipation of tasting it once more caused her mouth to water. The delicious smells did nothing to help her hunger and only served to increase her appetite further. While waiting to be waited upon she surveyed the room hoping to spot a familiar face. Her hope was fulfilled when she found one roaming the tables taking requests and it wasn't too long before he reached hers.

"Am I daydreaming?" He wondered aloud, eyeing her in wonder. Nami couldn't help but smile at him. His hair was still the same, personality still seemed the same…

"Missed me?" Slowly he shook his head.

"Oh, I dunno. Mummy was really upset when she learned Jack was the only one to see you off. I mean, you left without tellin us." He exclaimed in a mock British accent that, while excellent, also managed to make her feel the remorse that he may have wanted to accomplish. She smiled sheepishly in apology because he was right at that. Her impromptu decision to leave had blinded her—made her forget a couple of important people.

"Anywho…I'd love to stay and reminisce about the old days with you but unfortunately for me I have work to do so it'll have to wait for another time. If you wouldn't mind…is there anything off the menu you'd like?" He waited, accent having returned to normal. When Nami finished ordering she was left alone with her thoughts once more.

It was what felt like half an hour that went by and by then she had become more than bored with herself and rested her head on her crossed arms upon the table. But the screeching of chair legs pulled her eyes up and what she saw stunned her. Her brain had suddenly stopped thinking. Her appetite, her hunger—all had been forgotten. Someone had taken the seat across from her—the very person she had been most nervous about seeing again.

Wonder. That's what he felt at that moment as he watched her watch him—taking in all he could see. And she was just as pretty as she was hours ago. But he already knew that from what he'd seen behind. He found it all kind of cute actually—the way she ran just when he tried to call for her like a shy school girl. At first he thought it may have been someone else but hair color as unique as hers didn't come by often so it quickly became a probable possibility.

It's been eight, long years since she'd left and he got busy with himself and the farm in that time. Early down the line his feelings and passions for her suddenly up and left him and now he wasn't at all sure if he could still believe he had feelings for her. It just didn't make any sense to him to pine after someone who wasn't here. But it didn't mean that what he felt wasn't real.

There were a couple of things he was sure of presently however. She was more attractive now than she was before. And he wasn't going to let her leave again because he was going to do things right this time.

"Hey." He said finally, his voice casual and mellow, unable to contain a wide smile when she hid her face in the shadows of her arms on the table. He reached across the table and tapped her arm only to hear a barely audible noise that sounded like a greeting.

Rock returned to her table with what seemed like Nami's dinner and he thought of an idea.

"What's the matter with her?" Rock asked him. Jack honestly wasn't sure. He didn't remember her ever having been coy like this. It was quickly becoming silly.

"I don't know. Maybe she couldn't wait for you anymore and fell asleep? But thanks for bringing her food over. Though I guess I'll have to eat it for her. Wouldn't want it to go to waste." But before he could pull it too himself the dish was snatched away by the hermit herself. Gingerly, she picked at her potatoes slices and melted cheese with her fork, still keeping from looking at him. Having lost patience at this point he called Rock over to request a fork of his own. He wasn't going to let her treat him this way. He was going to get her to look at him and greet him properly.

When his fork arrived he promptly began eating her dinner with her. It wasn't until after a couple of bites before she finally looked up at him. She seemed really annoyed but it worked.

"Whatever it takes for me to get you look at me. I don't like that look you're giving." He went back to eating her food.

But she was just as stubborn as he remembered and the silent treatment lasted up till the last slice. Before she could pick up the last potato with her fork he quickly brought his own down, slicing it in half. He felt her hand grab his own.

"That is _mine._" She warned him.

"I don't see your name on it." He argued calmly, removing his hand from hers, popping the last bite into his mouth, happy to have heard her voice finally. But even after all of this she still kept her head bowed.

So he decided he'd wait patiently. He called on a nearby employee to ask for the check. It was the least he could do since he'd eaten nearly half of her dinner…her favorite one at that. He was beginning to feel bad. Just as he'd finish paying he saw Ruby wading through the tables, making her way in their direction. His mood brightened a little bit. Perhaps she could do something about Nami's vow of silence.

"I thought it was you who ordered it." Ruby half exclaimed. Jack looked up at her beamingly and mentioned how he thought he had spotted her earlier. Ruby pulled open a seat for herself and there were now two people watching her.

"I can only guess that she's suffering from the anxiety of returning home." Ruby chuckled. "I know just how to cure it." She got up from her seat and in one move swept the rosy haired woman into a tight hug. Then and there Nami burst into tears, surprising the both of them.

Jack watched and waited as Ruby comforted her, feeling guilty and little envious, wishing that he hadn't been so cold. But he still felt pleased to finally know what made her so unwilling to speak and look at him.

When her tears had dwindled downed to sniffles he was finally able to make a little bit of eye contact with her as she apologized to him for her behavior. He apologized for his impatience in return and they were all finally smiling at each other.

"Oh, before we settle down we need to figure out where you'll be staying! All our rooms have been booked for a while now from all the travelers passing by this hot season." Ruby pointed out with worry.

"I have a free room." Jack wasted no time in speaking up, thinking it would be a great opportunity to reconnect with her.

"Um…" Nami seemed to be at a loss for words but he waited expectantly, hoping she'd accept.

"Okay…thanks." She answered, though her apprehensive, beautiful eyes succeeded in making him feel like a dangerous criminal that no one knew about. Admittedly however, he didn't think his intentions wouldn't stay pure if things fell through well enough. Simply reconnecting wouldn't be enough and eventually he'd want to get even closer. Tonight would be the night that he'd find out whether or not she wanted the same things he did. And if she did he'd make it so that she wouldn't just be staying at his place. It would be her home too.

He caught Ruby throwing him a wink and he couldn't help wondering if there were many things she knew that he didn't. Or perhaps maybe his father was right…maybe he shouldn't place too much trust in women. Nevertheless, he smiled at her, feigning comprehension as he did not want to appear ignorant.

"I have to help Rock and the others start cleaning up for the night. It doesn't seem like anyone else will be coming for food. Nami, I want you to get a good night's rest. Tomorrow I'll come by to pick you up so you can tell me all about your travels." Ruby gently instructed the younger woman. Jack felt as though he were watching a mother speak to her daughter.

It was just the two of them at the table now. Even with her eyes pink and nose puffy from crying she still looked great to him. Not that he found her suffering entertaining or pleasurable.

"Shall we?" He suggested, moving to stand from his seat when she nodded.

Once they were out of the inn he thought it was a good time to ask her something—a small jab to try and get her to talk.

"Is it possible that you've become shy, anxious, and docile these past eight years?" He joked but regretted saying anything when he felt a sharp, stinging pain on his side caused by having had a bit of his flesh squeezed tightly by two of her fingers. He broke into a short burst of laughter from the surprise. That was a little more like the old her.

"I don't think I changed much…it was you." She replied. He couldn't hear any anger in her tone. It sounded almost like disappointment.

"Were you expecting everything to be as it was before you left?" He wondered aloud, waiting patiently when she didn't answer.

"I guess…maybe." She said finally. But Jack wasn't sure he liked that answer. He was a little offended to hear her say that after going through the trials of change. Quickly, he strode ahead of her and stopped her where she stood, hands on her shoulders.

"Can you look at me and honestly mean that you want what I used to be?" He demanded gently, not wanting to her to flinch and retaliate. He didn't know if he could revert if she did want the old him. Thinking back he felt he had been often close to extreme in his negative thinking that it was now a wonder to him how the thought of suicide never crossed his mind.

It was really difficult to list things he'd changed as Nami claimed and right then he realized something. He didn't change anything about himself. He only refused—fear, self-deprecation, anxiety from uncertainty—all of which kept him from how great he could be.

But even now…they were still apart of him—flowing through every artery and vein back to his heart as his hands moved on their own to wipe the tears that were falling down her face once more.

He felt her stiffen where she stood, watched her eyes focus on his own, pupils expanding as he felt his head lower, closer and closer…

Everything blackened as he succumbed to the sensations of their first, real kiss—a gentle one so unlike the surprising, somewhat painful accident they shared so long ago—wonderful and powerful enough to send a charge straight to his brain, bringing back his old feelings and renewing them.

Her arms snaked around his neck and body, pulling him closer, successfully locking their lips in a deeper connection and he felt a powerful desire coming from her that made his renewed feelings seem fickle and weak. He pulled away from her lips, curious for an answer, consciously moving his hands back down to her shoulders.

But what he saw in her eyes made him forget what he wanted to ask and he was only able to tilt his head and reconnect his lips with hers, his hands feeling their way down from her sides to her hips where they could relax. With his lips he tried to ask what he could not vocally and she would answer warmly, exciting him.

They stopped finally after some time for air, her face hidden in his chest, his nose buried in her hair.

"How's that for a, 'welcome home'?" he asked huskily, tightening his hold around her.

* * *

**Chapter End**

* * *

_Author's note: Originally, this chapter was to be one, long and final, complete chapter but it began to bother me. I didn't want a long epilogue. I wanted the end to begin._

_**To my anonymous reviewer**: Yes, I do agree with you that Jack seems Cancerian. I've delved deeper into astrology over the years and even went as far as to create a mock birth chart for him. The problem was that I wasn't giving him any of the influences his chart displayed. I was giving him my influences—a lot of leo, a romantic libra mars, and a bothersome south node in Cancer. _

_But enough with my geeky, astrology talk.._

_I shall not be using astrology in my stories from now on. I realize that it is used more as an excuse to judge and segregate people, good or bad, than as a learning tool for growth and I just don't want to encourage my readers to follow this path anymore._

_P.S. _

_I'm not so sure I like the new way the stories are displayed. Its all in my face. Perhaps I'm just too much a fan of paperback romances._

_Thats what I get for not writing and posting enough. Seems so new._


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